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Updated: Jul 14, 2026
A Murine Closed-chest Model of Myocardial Ischemia and Reperfusion
Published on: July 17, 2012
Early gene expression profiles during intraoperative myocardial ischemia-reperfusion in cardiac surgery
Sara Arab1, Igor E Konstantinov, Cathy Boscarino
1Richard Lewar Centre of Excellence, Toronto General Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Objective:
The effects of cold cardioplegic arrest and reperfusion on human ventricular gene expression are unknown. We tested the hypothesis that intraoperative ischemia-reperfusion under conditions of blood cardioplegic arrest would induce a unique myocardial genomic profile indicative of a cardioprotective response.
Methods:
Right ventricular samples were serially acquired during surgical repair of ventricular septal defect.
Results:
Expression profiling revealed 3 patterns of gene expression: (1) increased expression above control levels within 1 hour of cardioplegic arrest, with further amplification during early reperfusion; (2) increased expression limited to the reperfusion phase; and (3) reduced expression during reperfusion. Functional annotation and network mapping of differentially expressed genes indicated activation of multiple signaling pathways regulated by phosphatidylinositide 3'-OH kinase convergent on cellular growth and reparative programs. Also observed was increased expression of genes regulating hemoglobin synthesis, suggesting a novel cardioprotective pathway evoked during ischemia-reperfusion.
Conclusion:
Reversible myocardial ischemia-reperfusion during cardiac surgery is associated with an immediate genomic response that predicts a net cardioprotective phenotype.
