Ischemic preconditioning (Pre-con) is an adaptive response triggered by a brief ischemia applied before a prolonged coronary occlusion. We tested the hypothesis that repetitive ischemia applied during early reperfusion, i.e., postconditioning (Post-con), is cardio-protective by attenuating reperfusion injury. In anesthetized open-chest dogs, the left anterior descending artery (LAD) was occluded for 60 min and reperfused for 3 h. In controls (n = 10), there was no intervention. In Pre-con (n = 9), the LAD was occluded for 5 min and reperfused for 10 min before the prolonged occlusion. In Post-con (n = 10), at the start of reperfusion, three cycles of 30-s reperfusion and 30-s LAD reocclusion preceded the 3 h of reperfusion. Infarct size was significantly less in the Pre-con (15 +/- 2%, P < 0.05) and Post-con (14 +/- 2%, P < 0.05) groups compared with controls (25 +/- 3%). Tissue edema (% water content) in the area at risk was comparably reduced in Pre-con (78.3 +/- 1.2, P < 0.05) and Post-con (79.7 +/- 0.6, P < 0.05) versus controls (81.5 +/- 0.4). Polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) accumulation (myeloperoxidase activity, Deltaabsorbance.min-1.g tissue-1) in the area at risk myocardium was comparably reduced in Post-con (10.8 +/- 5.5, P < 0.05) and Pre-con (13.4 +/- 3.4, P < 0.05) versus controls (47.4 +/- 15.3). Basal endothelial function measured by PMN adherence to postischemic LAD endothelium (PMNs/mm2) was comparably attenuated by Post-con and Pre-con (15 +/- 0.6 and 12 +/- 0.6, P < 0.05) versus controls (37 +/- 1.5), consistent with reduced expression of P-selectin on coronary vascular endothelium in Post-con and Pre-con. Endothelial function assessed by the maximal vasodilator response of postischemic LAD to acetylcholine was significantly greater in Post-con (104 +/- 6%, P < 0.05) and Pre-con (109 +/- 5%, P < 0.05) versus controls (71 +/- 8%). Plasma malondialdehyde (microM/ml), a product of lipid peroxidation, was significantly less at 1 h of reperfusion in Post-con (2.2 +/- 0.2, P < 0.05) versus controls (3.2 +/- 0.3) associated with a decrease in superoxide levels revealed by dihydroethidium staining in the myocardial area at risk. These data suggest that Post-con is as effective as Pre-con in reducing infarct size and preserving endothelial function. Post-con may be clinically applicable in coronary interventions, coronary artery bypass surgery, organ transplantation, and peripheral revascularization where reperfusion injury is expressed.

Neutrophils respond to myocardial ischemia-reperfusion in a manner similar to the bacterial invasion of a host. The inflammatory-like response that follows the onset of reperfusion involves intense interactions with the coronary vascular endothelium, arterial wall, and cardiomyocytes in a very well-choreographed manner. Neutrophils have been implicated as primary and secondary mediators of lethal injury after reperfusion to coronary vascular endothelium and cardiomyocytes. The involvement of neutrophils in the pathogenesis of lethal myocardial injury has been inferred from (1) their presence and accumulation in reperfused myocardium in temporal agreement with injury induced, (2) the armamentarium of toxic agents such as oxidants and proteases that are released by neutrophils in reperfused myocardium, (3) responsivity to (recruitment by and/or activation by) inflammatory factors released by reperfused myocardium, and (4) inhibition of lethal post-ischemic myocyte or endothelial cell injury by strategies that interdict neutrophil interactions at any number of stages. However, whether neutrophils are directly involved in the pathogenesis of lethal reperfusion injury in the myocardium, are just pedestrian (first) responders to inflammatory signals released after the onset of reperfusion, or are important to an early but not clinically important phase of pathology are still points of controversy. As with the general area of myocardial protection itself, the failure to reproduce the salubrious effects of anti-neutrophil therapeutic strategies and to successfully translate these strategies into clinical practice has not only fueled the debate, but has jeopardized the further pursuit of myocardial protection therapeutics to improve post-ischemic outcomes. This review will describe the molecular responses of neutrophils to ischemia-reperfusion, discuss the cellular and tissue damage inflicted either directly or indirectly by these white cells, and discuss the physiological impact of interdiction of neutrophil-mediated interactions with myocardial cells at various levels on lethal post-ischemic injury. In addition, it will discuss the arguments for and against the involvement of neutrophils in responses to ischemia-reperfusion in experimental models, and the failure to translate experimentally successful therapy into clinical practice.

(1) Post-con at onset of R reduces myocardial injury; (2) cardioprotection may be mediated, in part, by inhibiting oxidant generation and oxidant mediated injury; (3) the first minute of R in the rat model is critical to cardioprotection by Post-con; and (4) cardioprotection by Post-con may be independent of neutrophil accumulation in AAR. *p<0.05 Post-con vs. Control.

Reperfusion of ischemic myocardium is necessary to salvage tissue from eventual death. However, reperfusion after even brief periods of ischemia is associated with pathologic changes that represent either an acceleration of processes initiated during ischemia per se, or new pathophysiological changes that were initiated after reperfusion. This 'reperfusion injury' shares many characteristics with inflammatory responses in the myocardium. Neutrophils feature prominently in this inflammatory component of postischemic injury. Ischemia-reperfusion prompts a release of oxygen free radicals, cytokines and other proinflammatory mediators that activate both the neutrophils and the coronary vascular endothelium. Activation of these cell types promotes the expression of adhesion molecules on both the neutrophils and endothelium, which recruits neutrophils to the surface of the endothelium and initiate a specific cascade of cell-cell interactions, leading first to adherence of neutrophils to the vascular endothelium, followed later by transendothelial migration and direct interaction with myocytes. This specific series of events is a prerequisite to the phenotypic expression of reperfusion injury, including endothelial dysfunction, microvascular collapse and blood flow defects, myocardial infarction and apoptosis. Pharmacologic therapy can target the various components in this critical series of events. Effective targets for these pharmacologic agents include: (a) inhibiting the release or accumulation of proinflammatory mediators, (b) altering neutrophil or endothelial cell activation and (c) attenuating adhesion molecule expression on endothelium, neutrophils and myocytes. Monoclonal antibodies to adhesion molecules (P-selectin, L-selectin, CD11, CD18), complement fragments and receptors attenuate neutrophil-mediated injury (vascular injury, infarction), but clinical application may encounter limitations due to antigen-antibody reactions with the peptides. Humanized antibodies and non-peptide agents, such as oligosaccharide analogs to sialyl Lewis, may prove effective in this regard. Both nitric oxide and adenosine exhibit broad spectrum effects against neutrophil-mediated events and, therefore, can intervene at several critical points in the ischemic-reperfusion response, and may offer greater benefit than agents that interdict at a single point in the cascade. The understanding of the molecular processes regulating actions of neutrophils in ischemic-reperfusion injury may be applicable to other clinical situations, such as trauma, shock and organ or tissue (i.e. vascular conduits) transplantation.

Ischaemic postconditioning (brief periods of ischaemia alternating with brief periods of reflow applied at the onset of reperfusion following sustained ischaemia) effectively reduces myocardial infarct size in all species tested so far, including humans. Ischaemic postconditioning is a simple and safe manoeuvre, but because reperfusion injury is initiated within minutes of reflow, postconditioning must be applied at the onset of reperfusion. The mechanisms of protection by postconditioning include: formation and release of several autacoids and cytokines; maintained acidosis during early reperfusion; activation of protein kinases; preservation of mitochondrial function, most strikingly the attenuation of opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP). Exogenous recruitment of some of the identified signalling steps can induce cardioprotection when applied at the time of reperfusion in animal experiments, but more recently cardioprotection was also observed in a proof-of-concept clinical trial. Indeed, studies in patients with an acute myocardial infarction showed a reduction of infarct size and improved left ventricular function when they underwent ischaemic postconditioning or pharmacological inhibition of MPTP opening during interventional reperfusion. Further animal studies and large-scale human studies are needed to determine whether patients with different co-morbidities and co-medications respond equally to protection by postconditioning. Also, our understanding of the underlying mechanisms must be improved to develop new therapeutic strategies to be applied at reperfusion with the ultimate aim of limiting the burden of ischaemic heart disease and potentially providing protection for other organs at risk of reperfusion injury, such as brain and kidney.