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ischaemic preconditioning of the human heart. - Leicester Research ...

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Attention was <strong>the</strong>n focussed on <strong>the</strong> mechanisms underlying this powerful event. The<br />

mechanisms have only been partly characterised in <strong>human</strong>s. It would appear that a<br />

trigger (e. g adenosine, bradykinin, adrenaline) activates a receptor-mediated Gi<br />

protein which activates a signalling pathway (Protein kinase C+ Mitogen activated<br />

Protein Kinase systems) which in turn open ATP-dependent K' channels (end-<br />

effector), ei<strong>the</strong>r at <strong>the</strong> sarcolemmal or mitochondrial membrane, which when<br />

activated leads to protection. The initial sets <strong>of</strong> experiments were performed to<br />

elucidate this effector via pharmacological means primarily. It showed that this<br />

putative effector in <strong>human</strong> <strong>preconditioning</strong> was <strong>the</strong> mitochondrial KATP channel and<br />

not <strong>the</strong> sarcolemmal channel, as previously described.<br />

There has been conflicting evidence suggesting that this phenomenon is a healthy<br />

<strong>heart</strong> phenomenon. In parallel studies, experiments were conducted to explore <strong>the</strong><br />

impact <strong>of</strong> cardiac function and diabetes mellitus on <strong>the</strong> protection induced by PC. The<br />

data revealed that cardioprotection induced PC is abolished in <strong>the</strong> failing myocardiurn<br />

and also in diabetic <strong>heart</strong>s. This is a novel finding and <strong>the</strong> implications are far-<br />

reaching. It also demonstrated that <strong>the</strong> failure to precondition <strong>the</strong> diabetic <strong>heart</strong> is due<br />

to dysfunction <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> mitochondrial Kxj-p channels and <strong>the</strong> mechanism <strong>of</strong> failure in <strong>the</strong><br />

failing <strong>heart</strong> lies in o<strong>the</strong>r elements <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> signal transcluction pathway<br />

<strong>the</strong> mitochondrial K., ý-I-p channels.<br />

different from<br />

Despite intensive investigation into <strong>the</strong> phenomenon, clinical application is still<br />

controversial. Whe<strong>the</strong>r this powerful card ioprotecti ve phenomenon has a role in<br />

clinical practice is still not established. The apparent discrepancy between clinical<br />

studies in <strong>the</strong> literature could be reconciled if one takes into account one possible<br />

hypo<strong>the</strong>sis - that <strong>preconditioning</strong> and its salutary effects are only observed in<br />

situations <strong>of</strong> unprotected ischaernia. As a result, this led to <strong>the</strong> design <strong>of</strong> a prospective<br />

1%,

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