title: The administration of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone protects the ischemic/reperfused myocardium.
abstract: The contribution of alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) treatment, an active fragment of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), to the recovery of postischemic cardiac function, infarct size, the incidence of reperfusion-induced ventricular fibrillation and apoptotic cell death was studied in ischemic/reperfused isolated rat hearts. Rats were subcutaneously injected with 40, 200 and 400 microg/kg of alpha-MSH, and 12 h later, hearts were isolated, perfused and subjected to 30 min of ischemia followed by 120 min of reperfusion. Thus, after 120 min of reperfusion, with the concentration of 200 microg/kg alpha-MSH, coronary flow, aortic flow and left ventricular developed pressure were significantly improved from their control values of 14.6+/-0.6 ml/min, 7.5+/-0.5 ml/min and 9.1+/-0.4 kPa to 20.2+/-0.4 ml/min (p<0.05), 31.5+/-0.9 ml/min (p<0.05) and 15.9+/-0.6 (p<0.05) kPa, respectively. With the doses of 40, 200 and 400 microg/kg of alpha-MSH, infarct size was reduced from its control value of 38+/-5% to 33+/-6% (NS), 17+/-3% (p<0.05) and 19+/-4% (p<0.05), respectively. The reduction in the incidence of reperfusion-induced ventricular fibrillation followed the same pattern. It is reasonable to assume that a reduction in infarct size, in the alpha-MSH-treated myocardium, resulted in a reduction as well in apoptotic cell death. Although we did not specifically study the exact mechanism(s) of alpha-MSH-afforded postischemic protection, we assume that this protection may be related to alpha-MSH-induced corticosterone release and corticosterone-induced de novo protein synthesis, which reflected in the recovery of postischemic cardiac function in isolated hearts. Thus, interventions that are able to increase plasma corticosterone or glucocorticoid release may prevent the development of ischemia/reperfusion-induced damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Health and Science Center, School of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Nagyerdei krt. 98, 4032, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: Miklos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vecsernyes
authors.forename: Bela
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Juhasz
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Der
authors.forename: Reka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kocsan
authors.forename: Palma
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Feher
authors.forename: Ildiko
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bacskay
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kovacs
authors.forename: Arpad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tosaki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D000521:alpha-MSH / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000521:alpha-MSH