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Updated: May 15, 2026

Bilateral Common Carotid Artery Occlusion as an Adequate Preconditioning Stimulus to Induce Early Ischemic Tolerance to Focal Cerebral Ischemia
Published on: May 9, 2013
Ischemic preconditioning increases myocardial O-GlcNAc glycosylation
Rebekka Vibjerg Jensen1, Jacob Johnsen, Steen Buus Kristiansen
1Department of Cardiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Aarhus N, Denmark. Rebekka.vibjerg@ki.au.dk
Objectives:
Through the hexosamine biosynthetic pathway (HBP) proteins are modified by O-linked-β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc), which acts as a stress sensor. Augmentation of O-GlcNAc confers cardioprotection against ischemia- reperfusion injury, but its role in ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is unknown. Azaserine and alloxan are unspecific blockers of the HBP and have been used to block the cardioprotective effects of O-GlcNAc. We hypothesized that IPC reduces infarct size and increases O-GlcNAc levels in hearts subjected to ischemia-reperfusion injury, and that these effects could be blocked by azaserine and alloxan.
Design:
Isolated rat hearts subjected to 40 min global ischemia and 120 min reperfusion were randomized to control, IPC, IPC + azaserine or alloxan, or control + azaserine or alloxan. The effects on infarct size, hemodynamic recovery, myocardial O-GlcNAc levels, and HBP enzyme activities were determined.
Results:
IPC reduced infarct size, increased O-GlcNAc levels, O-GlcNAc-transferase levels, and O-GlcNAc-transferase activity. Azaserine and alloxan did not block the effect of IPC on O-GlcNAc levels and O-GlcNAc-transferase activity.
Conclusions:
IPC increased O-GlcNAc levels though increased O-GlcNAc-transferase expression and activity. Azaserine and alloxan failed to block these effects presumably due to poor specificity and sensitivity of the blockers, and IPC-mediated cardioprotection may therefore still be dependent on O-GlcNAc.
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