title: Remote preconditioning in normal and hypertrophic rat hearts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of our study was to investigate whether remote preconditioning (RPC) improves myocardial function after ischemia/reperfusion injury in both normal and hypertrophic isolated rat hearts. This is the first time in world literature that cardioprotection by RPC in hypertrophic myocardium is investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four groups of 7 male Wistar rats each, were used: Normal control, normal preconditioned, hypertrophic control and hypertrophic preconditioned groups. Moderate cardiac hypertrophy was induced by fludrocortisone acetate and salt administration for 30 days. Remote preconditioning of the rat heart was achieved by 20 minutes transient right hind limb ischemia and 10 minutes reperfusion of the anaesthetized animal. Isolated Langendorff-perfused animal hearts were then subjected to 30 minutes of global ischemia and reperfusion for 60 minutes. Contractile function and heart rhythm were monitored. Preconditioned groups were compared to control groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) and the product LVDP × heart rate (HR) were significantly higher in the hypertrophic preconditioned group than the hypertrophic control group while left ventricular end diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and severe arrhythmia episodes did not differ. Variances between the normal heart groups were not significantly different except for the values of the LVEDP in the beginning of reperfusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Remote preconditioning seems to protect myocardial contractile function in hypertrophic myocardium, while it has no beneficial effect in normal myocardium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa 41335, Greece. voucharas@gmail.com
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Voucharas
authors.forename: Antigoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lazou
authors.forename: Filippos
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Triposkiadis
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsilimingas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019157:Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D017725:Ventricular Pressure / Q000502:physiology*