Effects of Thyroid Hormone Analogue and a Leukotrienes Pathway-Blocker on Reperfusion Injury Attenuation after Heart Transplantation

Abstract

Background . Global myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury after heart transplantation is believed to impair graft function and aggravate both acute and chronic rejection episodes. Objectives . To assess the possible protective potential of MK-886 and 3,5-diiodothyropropionic acid DITPA against global myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury after heart transplantation. Materials and Methods . Adult albino rats were randomized into 6 groups as follows: group I sham group; group II, control group; groups III and IV, control vehicles (1,2); group V, MK-886 treated group. Donor rats received MK-886 30 min before transplantation, and the same dose was repeated for recipients upon reperfusion; in group VI, DITPA treated group, donors and recipients rats were pretreated with DITPA for 7 days before transplantation. Results . Both MK-886 and DITPA significantly counteract the increase in the levels of cardiac TNF- α , IL-1 β , and ICAM-1 and plasma level of cTnI (). Morphologic analysis showed that both MK-886 and DITPA markedly improved () the severity of cardiac injury in the heterotopically transplanted rats. Conclusions . The results of our study reveal that both MK-886 and DITPA may ameliorate global myocardial ischemia reperfusion injury after heart transplantation via interfering with inflammatory pathway.