title: Remifentanil protects myocardium through activation of anti-apoptotic pathways of survival in ischemia-reperfused rat heart.
abstract: Remifentanil is a commonly used opioid in anesthesia with cardioprotective effect in ischemia-reperfused (I/R) heart. We evaluated the influence of remifentanil on myocardial infarct size and expressions of proteins involved in apoptosis in I/R rat heart following various time protocols of remifentanil administration. Artificially ventilated anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a 30 min of left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion followed by 2 h of reperfusion. Rats were randomly assigned to one of five groups; Sham, I/R only, remifentanil preconditioning, postconditioning and continuous infusion group. Myocardial infarct size, the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, Bcl2, Bax and cytochrome c and the expression of genes influencing Ca2+ homeostasis were assessed. In remifentanil-administered rat hearts, regardless of the timing and duration of administration, infarct size was consistently reduced compared to I/R only rats. Remifentanil improved expression of ERK1/2 and anti-apoptotic protein Bcl2, and expression of sarcoplasmic reticulum genes which were significantly reduced in the I/R rats only. Remifentanil reduced expression of pro-apoptotic protein, Bax and cytochrome c. These suggested that remifentanil produced cardioprotective effect by preserving the expression of proteins involved in anti-apoptotic pathways, and the expression of sarcoplasmic reticulum genes in I/R rat heart, regardless of the timing of administration.
authors.affiliation: Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Anesthesia and Pain Research Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: S O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Y L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Kwak
mesh_terms: D000759:Adjuvants, Anesthesia / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D045304:Cytochromes c / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006706:Homeostasis; D008297:Male; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D010880:Piperidines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D000077208:Remifentanil; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012519:Sarcoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000759:Adjuvants, Anesthesia; C494828:Bax protein, rat; D010880:Piperidines; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D045304:Cytochromes c; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D000077208:Remifentanil; D002118:Calcium