Intermittent pacing therapy favorably modulates infarct remodeling

textabstractDespite early revascularization, remodeling and dysfunction of the left ventricle (LV) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remain important therapeutic targets. Intermittent pacing therapy (IPT) of the LV can limit infarct size, when applied during early reperfusion. However, the effects of IPT on post-AMI LV remodeling and infarct healing are unknown. We therefore investigated the effects of IPT on global LV remodeling and infarct geometry in swine with a 3-day old AMI. For this purpose, fifteen pigs underwent 2 h ligation of the left circumflex coronary artery followed by reperfusion. An epicardial pacing lead was implanted in the peri-infarct zone. After three days, global LV remodeling and infarct geometry were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Animals were stratified into MI control and IPT groups. Thirty-five days post-AMI, follow-up MRI was obtained and myofibroblast content, markers of extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover and Wnt/frizzled signaling in infarct and non-infarct control tissue were studied. Results showed that IPT had no significant effect on global LV remodeling, function or infarct mass, but modulated infarct healing. In MI control pigs, infarct mass reduction was principally due to a 26.2 ± 4.4% reduction in infarct thickness (P ≤ 0.05), whereas in IPT pigs it was mainly due to a 35.7 ± 4.5% decrease in the number of infarct segments (P ≤ 0.05), with no significant change in infarct thickness. Myofibroblast content of the infarct zone was higher in IPT (10.9 ± 2.1%) compared to MI control (5.4 ± 1.6%; P ≤ 0.05). Higher myofibroblast presence did not coincide with alterations in expression of genes involved in ECM turnover or Wnt/frizzled signaling at 5 weeks follow-up. Taken together, IPT limited infarct expansion and altered infarct composition, showing that IPT influences remodeling of the infarct zone, likely by increasing regional myofibroblast content

Long-term protection and mechanism of pacing-induced postconditioning in the heart

Brief periods of ventricular pacing during the early reperfusion phase (pacing-induced postconditioning, PPC) have been shown to reduce infarct size as measured after 2 h of reperfusion. In this study, we investigated (1) whether PPC leads to maintained reduction in infarct size, (2) whether abnormal mechanical load due to asynchronous activation is the trigger for PPC and (3) the signaling pathways that are involved in PPC. Rabbit hearts were subjected to 30 min of coronary occlusion in vivo, followed by 6 weeks of reperfusion. PPC consisted of ten 30-s intervals of left ventricular (LV) pacing, starting at reperfusion. PPC reduced infarct size (TTC staining) normalized to area at risk, from 49.0 ± 3.3% in control to 22.9 ± 5.7% in PPC rabbits. In isolated ejecting rabbit hearts, replacing LV pacing by biventricular pacing abolished the protective effect of PPC, whereas ten 30-s periods of high preload provided a protective effect similar to PPC. The protective effect of PPC was neither affected by the adenosine receptor blocker 8-SPT nor by the angiotensin II receptor blocker candesartan, but was abrogated by the cytoskeletal microtubule-disrupting agent colchicine. Blockers of the mitochondrial KATP channel (5HD), PKC (chelerythrine) and PI3-kinase (wortmannin) all abrogated the protection provided by PPC. In the in situ pig heart, PPC reduced infarct size from 35 ± 4 to 16 ± 12%, a protection which was abolished by the stretch-activated channel blocker gadolinium. No infarct size reduction was achieved if PPC application was delayed by 5 min or if only five pacing cycles were used. The present study indicates that (1) PPC permanently reduces myocardial injury, (2) abnormal mechanical loading is a more likely trigger for PPC than electrical stimulation or G-coupled receptor stimulation and (3) PPC may share downstream pathways with other modes of cardioprotection

Adenosine Receptor Regulation of Coronary Blood Flow in Ossabaw Miniature SwineS⃞

Adenosine clearly regulates coronary blood flow (CBF); however, contributions of specific adenosine receptor (AR) subtypes (A1, A2A, A2B, A3) to CBF in swine have not been determined. ARs generally decrease (A1, A3) or increase (A2A, A2B) cyclic adenosine monophosphate, a major mediator of vasodilation. We hypothesized that A1 antagonism potentiates coronary vasodilation and coronary stent deployment in dyslipidemic Ossabaw swine elicits impaired vasodilation to adenosine that is associated with increased A1/A2A expression. The left main coronary artery was accessed with a guiding catheter allowing intracoronary infusions. After placement of a flow wire into the left circumflex coronary artery the responses to bolus infusions of adenosine were obtained. Steady-state infusion of AR-specific agents was achieved by using a small catheter fed over the flow wire in control pigs. CBF was increased by the A2-nonselective agonist 2-phenylaminoadenosine (CV1808) in a dose-dependent manner. Baseline CBF was increased by the highly A1-selective antagonist 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX), but not changed by other AR-specific agents. The nonselective A2 antagonist 3,7-dimethyl-1-propargylxanthine and A2A-selective antagonist 4-(2-[7-amino-2-(2-furyl)[1,2,4]triazolo[2,3-a][1,3,5]triazin-5-ylamino]ethyl)phenol (ZM241385) abolished adenosine-induced CBF, whereas A2B and A3 antagonism had no effect. Dyslipidemia and stenting decreased adenosine-induced CBF ∼70%, whereas A1, A2A, and A2B mRNA were up-regulated in dyslipidemic versus control >5-fold and there was no change in the ratio of A1/A2A protein in microvessels distal to the stent. In control Ossabaw swine A1 antagonism by DPCPX positively regulated basal CBF. Impaired adenosine-induced CBF after stenting in dyslipidemia is most likely caused by the altered balance between A1 and A2A signaling, not receptor expression

Clinical Pacing Post-Conditioning During Revascularization After AMI

Intermittent dyssynchrony, induced by ventricular pacing, during early reperfusion reduces infarct size in pre-clinical studies. We evaluated cardioprotection by pacing post-conditioning (PPC) in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction in a randomized, controlled, single-center, single-blinded, first-in-man study. Patients with first ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction received either PPC plus percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) (n = 30) or PCI (n = 30). PPC consisted of 10 episodes of 30-s right ventricular pacing. Infarct size was measured as the area under the curve of creatine kinase (CK) (primary endpoint) and by contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance. The CK area under the curve was not significantly different between study groups. Adjusted contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance data showed ∼25% smaller infarct size in PPC + PCI than in PCI patients after 4 days (p = 0.01), 4 months (p = 0.02), and 1 year of PCI (p = 0.08). In PPC + PCI, (uncomplicated) ventricular fibrillation (n = 3) and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (n = 4) were observed as opposed to 1 and 0 cases in PCI, respectively. We conclude PPC is feasible and may induce cardioprotection during PCI treatment of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, but technical improvements are needed to improve safety. (PROTECT: Pacing to Protect Heart for Damage From Blocked Heart Vessel and From Re-opening Blocked Vessel[s]; NCT00409604