title: Coronary microembolization.
abstract: Atherosclerotic plaque rupture is the key event in the pathogenesis of acute coronary syndromes and it also occurs during coronary interventions. Atherosclerotic plaque rupture does not always result in complete thrombotic occlusion of the epicardial coronary artery with subsequent impending myocardial infarction, but may in milder forms result in the embolization of atherosclerotic and thrombotic debris into the coronary microcirculation. This review summarizes the present experimental pathophysiology of coronary microembolization in animal models of acute coronary syndromes and highlights the main consequences of coronary microembolization--reduced coronary reserve, microinfarction, inflammation and oxidative modification of contractile proteins, contractile dysfunction and perfusion-contraction mismatch.Furthermore, the review presents the available clinical evidence for coronary microembolization in patients and compares the clinical observations with observations in the experimental model.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Pathophysiologie, Zentrum für Innere Medizin, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122, Essen, Germany, gerd.heusch@uni-essen.de.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Skyschally
authors.forename: Kkirsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Leineweber
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gres
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haude
authors.forename: Raimund
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Erbel
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heusch
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D003328:Coronary Thrombosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004617:Embolism / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D019157:Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial; D014335:Tropomyosin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014335:Tropomyosin