Ischemic preconditioning protects against gap junctional uncoupling in cardiac myofibroblasts.
Ischemic preconditioning increases the heart's tolerance to a subsequent longer ischemic period. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of gap junction communication in simulated preconditioning in cultured neonatal rat cardiac myofibroblasts. Gap junctional intercellular communication was assessed by Lucifer yellow dye transfer. Preconditioning preserved intercellular coupling after prolonged ischemia. An initial reduction in coupling in response to the preconditioning stimulus was also observed. This may protect neighboring cells from damaging substances produced during subsequent regional ischemia in vivo, and may preserve gap junctional communication required for enhanced functional recovery during subsequent reperfusion.
Sundset
Rune
R
Department of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway. runes@fagmed.uit.no
Cooper
Marie
M
Mikalsen
Svein-Ole
SO
Ytrehus
Kirsti
K
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D002470:Cell Survival; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000235:genetics; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000502:physiology*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D019157:Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial / Q000379:methods*; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats
D018031:Connexin 43