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Apoptosis in human acute myocardial infarction
A Saraste1, K Pulkki, M Kallajoki
1Department of Anatomy, University of Turku, Finland.
Circulation
|January 21, 1997
Summary
Apoptosis, programmed cell death, occurs in human heart attacks during reperfusion injury. This finding offers a new target for developing cardioprotective therapies for acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Cellular Biology
- Pathology
Background:
- Cardiomyocytes continue to die after reperfusion in acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
- The precise mechanisms of cell death during this phase remain debated.
- This study investigated the presence of apoptosis in human AMI.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if apoptotic cell death occurs in human cardiomyocytes during acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
- To explore potential new targets for cardioprotection in evolving AMI.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of myocardial samples from eight patients who died of AMI with patent infarct-related arteries.
- Utilizing in situ DNA end-labeling to detect DNA strand breaks, a hallmark of apoptosis.
- Confirming internucleosomal DNA fragmentation via agarose gel electrophoresis.
Main Results:
- Extensive DNA strand breaks, indicative of apoptosis, were detected in myocardial samples.
- Apoptotic cardiomyocytes were predominantly found in the border zones of infarcted areas.
- Minimal apoptotic cells were observed in remote, non-infarcted myocardial regions.
Conclusions:
- Evidence suggests that apoptosis occurs in a subset of myocytes alongside necrosis during ischemia-reperfusion injury in human AMI.
- Targeting apoptosis presents a novel strategy for cardioprotection in evolving acute myocardial infarction.