Transportation or Noise Is Associated with Tolerance to Myocardial Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury

• Published in: The Journal of surgical research 2000-03, Vol.89 (1), p.7-12
• Main Authors: Rowland, Robert T., Cleveland, Joseph C., Upadhya, Prakash, Harken, Alden H., Brown, James M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation, Physiological; Animals; antioxidant enzymes; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiology. Vascular system; catalase; Catalase - metabolism; Coronary heart disease; Diastole; endotoxin; Heart; ischemia; isolated heart; Male; Medical sciences; Myocardial Ischemia - physiopathology; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury - physiopathology; Myocardium - enzymology; Noise; Pressure; Quarantine; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Reference Values; reperfusion; Time Factors; Transportation; Ventricular Function, Left
• ISSN: 0022-4804; 1095-8673
• DOI: 10.1006/jsre.1999.5804

Myocardial stress can result in myocellular phenotypic changes including enhanced activity of antioxidant enzyme systems. Accordingly, endogenous tissue antioxidant enzyme activity has been associated with resistance to cardiac ischemia and reperfusion injury. The present study was designed to determine if environmental perturbations could alter myocardial antioxidant enzyme (catalase) activity and function after ischemia. Isolated perfused rat hearts (Langendorff apparatus, 37°C) were subjected to 20 min global ischemia (37°C) and 40 min reperfusion. Rats studied immediately following shipment had increased myocardial catalase activity (1330 ± 3.5 U/g, P < 0.05 vs quarantined control) and increased resistance to ischemia and reperfusion injury (end reperfusion developed pressure, DP 55 ± 4.0 mm Hg, P < 0.05 vs quarantined control). However, control rats that were quarantined for 4 weeks exhibited a progressive decrease in catalase activity (760 ± 10 U/g) for 3 weeks of quarantine. There was a concurrent decrease in resistance to myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury (DP 40 ± 3.6 mm Hg). Similarly, quarantined rats subjected to construction-related noise levels in excess of 90 dB (A scale) had increased myocardial catalase activity (1140 ± 3.3 U/g, P < 0.05) and functional tolerance to ischemia and reperfusion (DP 66 ± 3.3 mm Hg, P < 0.05). Finally, rats experiencing 90-dB noise levels for 2 days exhibited increased myocardial catalase activity (1125 ± 30 U/g, P < 0.05) and myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury tolerance (DP 62 ± 1.7 mm Hg, P < 0.05). We conclude that variations in environmental conditions can relate to changes in antioxidant defense mechanisms and tolerance to myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury in the rat.