Rapid changes in myofibrillar proteins after reperfusion of ischemic myocardium in dogs

The effect of reperfusion on cardiac myofibrillar proteins in the irreversibly injured ischemic myocardium was studied in dogs. Ischemia of the myocardium was produced by complete occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 90 min (the group of 90I). Occlusion of the coronary artery was then released (reperfusion) for 0.5 min (the group of 90I + 0.5R), 5 min (the group of 90I + 5R), or 20 min (the group of 90I + 20R). In control dogs, the coronary artery was not occluded (the group of no ischemia). Myofibrils (Mfp) were prepared from the myocardium (with centrifugation) in each of the groups, and subjected to electrophoretic analysis in terms of myofibrillar proteins. The yield of Mfs in the groups of 90I, 90I + 0.5R, 90I + 5R, and 90I + 20R was lower than that in the group of no ischemia. There were no marked differences, however, in the electrophoretic pattern of Mfp among the five groups. These results suggest that myofibrils are broken down during reperfusion after ischemia. Therefore, supernatant solution after the first stage of homogenization during the course of preparation of myofibrils (mfs) was also examined. There were many unidentified bands in Mfs, being assumed to be originated from myofibrillar proteins, in the groups of both 90I + 0.5R and 90I + 5R, although these bands were not observed in the group of 90I. These results indicate that degradation of myofibrillar proteins occurs rapidly after reperfusion of the irreversibly injured myocardium. It is uncertain, however, whether reperfusion has a detrimental effect on the reversibly injured myocardium, too.