Myocardial protection by recombinant soluble P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1: Suppression of neutrophil and platelet interaction following ischemia and reperfusion

Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) play an important role in myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury. Moreover, platelets are also important blood cells that can aggravate myocardial ischemic injury. This study was designed to test the effects of PMNs and platelets separately and together in provoking cardiac dysfunction in isolated perfused rat hearts following ischemia and reperfusion. Additional control rat hearts were perfused with 75 X 106 PMNs, with 75 X 106 platelets, or with 75 X 106 PMNs+75 X 106 platelets over a five minute perfusion followed by a 75 min observation period. No significant reduction in coronary flow (CF), left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP), or the first derivative of LVDP (dP/dt max) was observed at the end of the observation period in any non-ischemic group. Similarly, global ischemia (I) for 20 min followed by 45 minutes of reperfusion (R) produced no sustained effects on the final recovery of any of these parameters in any group of hearts perfused in the absence of blood cells. However, I/R hearts perfused with either PMNs or platelets alone exhibited decreases in these variables of 5 ~ 10% (p < 0.05 from control). Furthermore, I/R hearts perfused with both PMNs and platelets exhibited decreases of 50 to 60% in all measurements of cardiac function (p < 0.01). These dual cell perfused I/R hearts also exhibited marked increases in cardiac myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity indicating a significant PMN infiltration, and enhanced P-selectin expression on the coronary microvascular endothelium. All cardiaodynamic effects as well as PMN accumulation and P-selectin expression were markedly attenuated by a recombinant soluble PSGL-1 which inhibits selectin mediated cell adhesion. These results provide evidence that platelets and PMNs act synergistically in provoking post-reperfusion cardiac dysfunction, and that this may be largely due to cell to cell interactions mediated by P-selectin. These results also demonstrate that a recombinant soluble PSGL-1 reduces myocardial reperfusion injury by platelet and PMNs interaction.

Antioxidant effects of serotonin and L-DOPA on oxidative damages of brain synaptosomes

Antioxidant effects of serotonin and L-DOPA on neuronal tissues were examined by studying the oxidative damages of brain synaptosomal components. The study further explored the mechanism by which they exert protective actions. Serotonin and L-DOPA (1 muM to 1 mM) significantly inhibited lipid peroxidation of brain tissues by either Fe2+ and ascorbate or t-butyl hydroperoxide in a dose dependent fashion. Protective effect of serotonin on the peroxidative actions of both systems was greater than that of L-DOPA. Protein oxidation of synaptosomes caused by Fe2+ and ascorbate was attenuated by serotonin and L-DOPA. Protein oxidation more sensitively responded to L-DOPA rather than serotonin. Serotonin and L-DOPA (100 muM) decreased effectively the oxidation of synaptosomal sulfhydryl groups caused by Fe2+ and ascorbate. The production of hydroxyl radical caused by either Fe3+, EDTA, H2O2 and ascorbate or xanthine and xanthine oxidase was significantly decreased by serotonin and L-DOPA (1 mM). Equal concentrations of serotonin and L-DOPA restored synaptosomal Ca2+ uptake decreased by Fe2+ and ascorbate, which is responsible for SOD and catalase. Protective effects of serotonin and L-DOPA on brain synaptosomes may be attributed to their removing action on reactive oxidants, hydroxyl radicals and probably iron-oxygen complex, without chelating action on iron.