title: Melanocortins counteract inflammatory and apoptotic responses to prolonged myocardial ischemia/reperfusion through a vagus nerve-mediated mechanism.
abstract: Recently we reported that an efferent vagal fibre-mediated cholinergic protective pathway, activated by melanocortins acting at brain melanocortin MC(3) receptors, is operative in a condition of short-term myocardial ischemia/reperfusion associated with a high incidence of severe arrhythmias and death. Here we investigated melanocortin effects, and the role of the vagus nerve-mediated cholinergic protective pathway, in a rat model of prolonged myocardial ischemia/reperfusion associated with marked inflammatory and apoptotic reactions, and a large infarct size. Ischemia was produced in rats by ligature of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 30 min. At the end of the 2-h reperfusion, western blot analysis of the inflammatory and apoptotic markers tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), c-jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) and caspase-3, as well as of the anti-apoptotic extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK 1/2), was performed in the left ventricle. In saline-treated ischemic rats there was an increase in TNF-alpha levels and in the activity of JNK and caspase-3 accompanied, despite an appreciable ERK 1/2 activation, by a large infarct size. Intravenous treatment, during coronary artery occlusion, with the melanocortin analog [Nle(4), D-Phe(7)]alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (NDP-alpha-MSH) produced a reduction in TNF-alpha levels and in the activity of JNK and caspase-3, associated with marked activation of the pro-survival kinases ERK 1/2, and consequent attenuation of infarct size. Bilateral cervical vagotomy blunted the protective effects of NDP-alpha-MSH. These results indicate that melanocortins modulate the inflammatory and apoptotic cascades triggered by prolonged myocardial ischemia/reperfusion, and reduce infarct size, seemingly by activation of the vagus nerve-mediated cholinergic protective pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ottani
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Giuliani
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galantucci
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spaccapelo
authors.forename: Ettore
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Novellino
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grieco
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jochem
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guarini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D053486:Melanocortins / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D053486:Melanocortins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D048031:JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D053148:Caspase 3