HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): Timo Savunen Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Uotila, P. Articles by Savunen, T. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Uotila, P. Articles by Savunen, T. Related Collections Extracorporeal circulation

Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 2001;20:992-995
© 2001 Elsevier Science NL

Stimulated expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in porcine heart after bypass circulation and cardioplegic arrest

^a Department of Physiology, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, 20520 Turku, Finland
^b Department of Clinical Physiology, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, 20520 Turku, Finland
^c Department of Anatomy, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, 20520 Turku, Finland
^d Department of Surgery, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, 20520 Turku, Finland
^e Department of Anaesthesiology, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, 20520 Turku, Finland

Received 25 January 2001; received in revised form 20 June 2001; accepted 18 July 2001.

Corresponding author. Tel.: +358-2-313-1611; fax: +358-2-313-2284

Objectives: Cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzymes catalyze the initial step in the formation of prostaglandins, which have a role in the regulation of circulation and in inflammatory reactions. As hypoxia is reported to stimulate the expression of COX-2, we have investigated the effects of bypass circulation and cardioplegic arrest on the expression COX-1 and COX-2 in the myocardium of porcine hearts. Methods: Anaesthetized pigs were connected to cardiopulmonary bypass and the hearts were arrested by cold crystalloid cardioplegia for 30 min and reperfused thereafter for 90 min. Then the mRNA and protein levels of COX-1 and COX-2 were measured from the transmural specimens of the left ventricular myocardium by Northern and Western blot analyses. Reference specimens were from the hearts of unoperated control pigs and from sham-operated pigs, which were connected to cardiopulmonary bypass for 120 min without any aortic clamping. Results: COX-1 mRNA was expressed in unoperated control porcine hearts, whereas the expression of COX-2 mRNA was weak in control hearts. The expression of COX-2 mRNA increased to 170% of the control level in the hearts of sham-operated pigs and to 180% in arrested hearts, while the level of COX-1 mRNA was not changed. Both COX-1 and COX-2 proteins were detected by Western blot analysis in the myocardial specimens of control hearts. After cardioplegic arrest, the level of COX-2 protein increased to 280% of the control level in arrested hearts, whereas the level of COX-1 protein remained unchanged. Conclusions: These results indicate that the expression of the COX-2 gene is stimulated in the ventricular myocardium of the porcine heart after bypass circulation and cardioplegic arrest.

Key Words: Cyclooxygenase-1 • Cyclooxygenase-2 • Cardiopulmonary bypass • Cardiac arrest • Cardioplegia • Porcine