ATP-loaded liposomes effectively protect the myocardium in rabbits with an acute experimental myocardial infarction.
OBJECTIVE
We assessed whether the infusion of ATP-loaded liposomes (ATP-L) can limit the fraction of the irreversibly damaged myocardium in rabbits with an experimental myocardial infarction.


METHODS
ATP-L, empty liposomes (EL), or Krebs-Henseleit (KH) buffer were administered by intracoronary infusion, followed by 30 min of occlusion and 3 h of reperfusion. Unisperse Blue dye was used to demarcate the net size of the occlusion-induced ischemic zone (area at risk) and nitroblue tetrazolium staining was used to detect the final fraction of the irreversibly damaged myocardium within the total area at risk.


RESULTS
The total size of the area at risk in all experimental animals was approx. 20% wt. of the left ventricle. The final irreversible damage in ATP-L-treated animals was only ca. 30% of the total area at risk as compared with ca. 60% in the group treated with EL (p < 0.009) and ca. 70% in the KH buffer-treated group (p < 0.003).


CONCLUSIONS
ATP-L effectively protected the ischemic heart muscle in rabbits with an experimental myocardial infarction as evidenced by a significantly decreased fraction of the irreversibly damaged heart within the total area at risk. ATP-L may provide an effective exogenous source of the ATP in vivo to protect ischemically damaged cells.
Verma
Daya D
DD
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Hartner
William C
WC
Levchenko
Tatayana S
TS
Bernstein
Eugene A
EA
Torchilin
Vladimir P
VP
D000208:Acute Disease; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000502:physiology; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000187:drug effects; D004563:Electrochemistry; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D008081:Liposomes; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D010316:Particle Size; D011817:Rabbits
D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D008081:Liposomes; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate