Short-term fasting reduces the extent of myocardial infarction and incidence of reperfusion arrhythmias in rats

• Published in: Physiological research Vol. 61; no. 6; pp. 567 - 574
• Main Authors: Snorek, M, Hodyc, D, Sedivý, V, Durišová, J, Skoumalová, A, Wilhelm, J, Neckář, J, Kolář, F, Herget, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Czech Republic Institute of Physiology 01.01.2012
• Subjects: 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid - metabolism; 3-Hydroxybutyric Acid - pharmacology; Acetoacetates - metabolism; Acetoacetates - pharmacology; Animals; Arrhythmias, Cardiac - physiopathology; Arrhythmias, Cardiac - veterinary; Heart; Heart attacks; Kinases; Male; Mitochondria - metabolism; Myocardial Infarction - metabolism; Myocardial Infarction - veterinary; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury - metabolism; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury - veterinary; Oxidation-Reduction; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Rodents; Tachycardia, Ventricular - complications
• ISSN: 0862-8408; 1802-9973
• DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.932338

The effect of three-day fasting on cardiac ischemic tolerance was investigated in adult male Wistar rats. Anesthetized open-chest animals (pentobarbitone 60 mg/kg, i.p.) were subjected to 20-min left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion and 3-h reperfusion for infarct size determination. Ventricular arrhythmias were monitored during ischemia and at the beginning (3 min) of reperfusion. Myocardial concentrations of beta-hydroxybutyrate and acetoacetate were measured to assess mitochondrial redox state. Short-term fasting limited the infarct size (48.5+/-3.3 % of the area at risk) compared to controls (74.3+/-2.2 %) and reduced the total number of premature ventricular complexes (12.5+/-5.8) compared to controls (194.9+/-21.9) as well as the duration of ventricular tachycardia (0.6+/-0.4 s vs. 18.8+/-2.5 s) occurring at early reperfusion. Additionally, fasting increased the concentration of beta-hydroxybutyrate and beta-hydroxybutyrate/acetoacetate ratio (87.8+/-27.0) compared to controls (7.9+/-1.7), reflecting altered mitochondrial redox state. It is concluded that three-day fasting effectively protected rat hearts against major endpoints of acute I/R injury. Further studies are needed to find out whether these beneficial effects can be linked to altered mitochondrial redox state resulting from increased ketogenesis.