[Effect of naloxone on expression of Bcl-2 protein and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in rats with acute myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of naloxone on myocardial cell apoptosis and apoptosis-related gene Bcl-2 in rats with acute myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (AMIR) injury, and explore the mechanism of protective effect of naloxone on myocardium.


METHODS
Thirty SD rats were randomly divided into three groups (n=10): ischemia/reperfusion group, naloxone preconditioning group (naloxone was injected intraperitoneally 10 minutes before ischemia and 2 hours after reperfusion), and normal control group. The left anterior descending branch (LAD) of rat coronary artery was tied and un-tied in ischemia/reperfusion group and naloxone preconditioning group to establish the AMIR model in rats. The animals were then sacrificed and hearts were harvested. The expression of Bcl-2 protein was observed by immunohistochemical technique. Radioimmunoassay (RIA) was used to determine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in serum.


RESULTS
In the normal control group, there was no Bcl-2 expression and TNF-alpha level was (0.39+/-0.06) mug/L. Higher expression of Bcl-2 and increased TNF-alpha levels were found in ischemia/reperfusion group. The expression of Bcl-2 protein increased significantly [(+++) vs. (+)], and TNF-alpha was significantly lower in naloxone preconditioning group than those in the normal control group [(0.55+/-0.12) microg/L vs. (0.86+/-0.11) microg/L, P<0.01].


CONCLUSIONS
Naloxone can protect myocardium from AMIR injury by inhibiting the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes induced by TNF-alpha and up-regulating protein expression of bcl-2 gene.
Tang
Xiao-qin
XQ
Department of Anatomy, Lanzhou Medical College, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China. tangxq@lzu.ed.cn
Zhao
Jian-hong
JH
Zhang
Zheng-yi
ZY
Zhang
Xu
X
Song
Shao-li
SL
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D009270:Naloxone