title: A role for the RISK pathway and K(ATP) channels in pre- and post-conditioning induced by levosimendan in the isolated guinea pig heart.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Myocardial reperfusion injury prevents optimal salvage of the ischaemic myocardium, and adjunct therapy that would significantly reduce reperfusion injury is still lacking. We investigated whether (1) the heart could be pre- and/or post-conditioned using levosimendan (levosimendan pre-conditioning (LPC) and levosimendan post-conditioning (LPostC)) and (2) the prosurvival kinases and/or the sarcolemmal or mitochondrial K(ATP) channels are involved.
  
  
  METHODS
  Isolated guinea pig hearts were treated with two 5 min cycles of levosimendan (0.1 microM) interspersed with vehicle perfusion, or two 5 min cycles of ischaemia/reperfusion, before coronary artery ligation (CAL) for 40 min at 36.5 degrees C. Hearts were treated with mitochondrial or sarcolemmal K(ATP) channel blockers before LPC or LPostC. For post-conditioning, hearts received three 30 s cycles of ischaemia/reperfusion or levosimendan/vehicle. Hearts were pretreated with levosimendan immediately before CAL (without washout). Cardiac function, infarct size and reperfusion injury salvage kinase activity was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LPC and LPostC halved the infarct size compared with controls (P<0.05). Treatment with K(ATP) channel blockers before LPC or LPostC reversed this decrease. Pretreating hearts with levosimendan increased activity of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 42/44 on reperfusion and had the most marked infarct-lowering effect (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  (1) Hearts could be pharmacologically pre- and post-conditioned with levosimendan; (2) levosimendan pretreatment is the most effective way to reduce infarct size, possibly by increasing ERK 42/44 activity; (3) benefits of LPC and LPostC were abolished by both K(ATP) channel blockers and (4) LPC may be useful before elective cardiac surgery, whereas LPostC may be used after acute coronary artery events.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa. efdt@sun.ac.za
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: du Toit
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Genis
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Opie
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pollesello
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lochner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000502:physiology; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000502:physiology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006835:Hydrazones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D019157:Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial; D054086:KATP Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000473:pathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D011724:Pyridazines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D000077464:Simendan
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D006835:Hydrazones; D054086:KATP Channels; D011724:Pyridazines; D000077464:Simendan; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases