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Updated: Nov 19, 2025
Improved Rodent Model of Myocardial Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury
Published on: March 7, 2022
Strontium ions protect hearts against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury
Min Xing1,2, Yun Jiang3,4, Wei Bi3,4
1State Key Laboratory of High Performance Ceramics and Superfine Microstructure, Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shanghai 200050, P. R. China.
Insights
Strontium ions delivered via hydrogels protect heart muscle from damage after heart attack (myocardial infarction) and reperfusion injury. This novel therapy reduces scarring and promotes blood vessel growth, offering a potentially safer and more affordable treatment for ischemic heart disease.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Regenerative Medicine
- Biomaterials
Background:
- Myocardial infarction (MI) requires timely reperfusion, but this can cause further damage (ischemia/reperfusion injury).
- Strontium ions are known to promote angiogenesis, but their cardioprotective effects against MI-induced injury are unexplored.
- Developing effective and safe therapies for ischemic heart disease remains a critical challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential cardioprotective effects of strontium ions delivered via composite hydrogels against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury.
- To evaluate the impact of strontium on cardiomyocyte apoptosis, angiogenesis, and cardiac function post-I/R.
- To explore a novel therapeutic strategy for mitigating damage following heart attacks.
Main Methods:
- Murine model of myocardial infarction subjected to 60 minutes of ischemia followed by 20 minutes of reperfusion.
- Injection of strontium ion-containing composite hydrogels into the infarcted myocardium.
- Assessment of cardiac function, infarct size, cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and angiogenesis.
- In vitro studies to confirm strontium's effects on cardiomyocyte viability and angiogenesis.
Main Results:
- Strontium ion-containing hydrogels significantly attenuated functional deterioration and scar formation in the infarcted myocardium.
- Treatment led to reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and increased angiogenesis in the injured heart tissue.
- In vitro experiments confirmed enhanced cardiomyocyte viability and stimulated angiogenesis by strontium ions.
- These findings demonstrate the first evidence of strontium ions' cardioprotective capabilities against I/R injury.
Conclusions:
- Strontium ions exhibit significant cardioprotective effects against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury.
- Strontium-eluting hydrogels represent a promising, potentially low-cost, stable, and safe therapeutic approach for ischemic heart disease.
- This study opens new avenues for developing strontium-based treatments to improve outcomes after heart attacks.
Abstract:
Timely restoration of blood supply following myocardial infarction is critical to save the infarcted myocardium, while reperfusion would cause additional damage. Strontium ions have been shown to promote angiogenesis, but it is unknown whether they can save the damaged myocardium. We report that myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced functional deterioration and scar formation were notably attenuated by injection of strontium ion-containing composite hydrogels into murine infarcted myocardium at 20 minutes of reperfusion following 60 minutes of ischemia. These beneficial effects were accompanied by reduced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and increased angiogenesis. The effects of strontium ions were further confirmed by the enhanced viability of cardiomyocytes and stimulated angiogenesis in vitro. These findings are the first to reveal the cardioprotective effects of strontium ions against I/R injury, which may provide a new therapeutic approach to ischemic heart disease at a lower cost, with higher stability, and with potentially greater safety.
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