Body cooling causes normalization of cardiac protein expression and function in a rat heatstroke model

Cardiac dysfunction contributes to heatstroke genesis, which can be ameliorated by whole body cooling. A comparative analysis using two-dimensional in-gel electrophoresis of cardiac protein patterns is performed in rat controls, untreated heatstroke rats, and whole body cooling-treated heatstroke rats. After the onset of heatstroke, animals display hypotension and altered cardiac protein profiles, which can be reversed by whole body cooling. Thus, the proteomic mechanisms exerted by body cooling during heatstroke are elucidated by the current results.