• Matthias L Riess, Amadou K S Camara, Leo G Kevin, Jianzhong An, and David F Stowe.
• Anesthesiology Research Laboratory, Department of Anesthesiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA.
• Cardiovasc. Res. 2004 Feb 15; 61 (3): 580-90.

ObjectiveDifferent cardioprotective strategies such as ischemic or pharmacologic preconditioning lead to attenuated ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury with less mechanical dysfunction and reduced infarct size on reperfusion. Improved mitochondrial function during ischemia as well as on reperfusion is a key feature of cardioprotection. The best reversible cardioprotective strategy is hypothermia. We investigated mitochondrial protection before, during, and after hypothermic ischemia by measuring mitochondrial (m)Ca2+, NADH, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) by online spectrophotofluorometry in intact hearts.MethodsA fiberoptic cable was placed against the left ventricle of Langendorff-prepared guinea pig hearts to excite and record transmyocardial fluorescence at the appropriate wavelengths during 37 and 17 degrees C perfusion and during 30 min ischemia at 37 and 17 degrees C before 120 min reperfusion/rewarming.ResultsCold perfusion caused significant reversible increases in m[Ca2+], NADH, and ROS. Hypothermia prevented a further increase in m[Ca2+], excess ROS formation and NADH oxidation/reduction imbalance during ischemia, led to a rapid return to preischemic values on warm reperfusion, and preserved cardiac function and tissue viability on reperfusion.ConclusionsHypothermic perfusion at 17 degrees C caused moderate and reversible changes in mitochondrial function. However, hypothermia protects during ischemia, as shown by preservation of mitochondrial NADH energy balance and prevention of deleterious increases in m[Ca2+] and ROS formation. The close temporal relations of these factors during cooling and during ischemia suggest a causal link between mCa2+, mitochondrial energy balance, and ROS production.

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