Novel bisindolylmaleimide derivative inhibits mitochondrial permeability transition pore and protects the heart from reperfusion injury.

Despite major advances in treating patients with coronary heart disease, reperfusion injury is still considered to be a major problem, especially in surgical settings. Here, we demonstrate the protective effects of a novel bisindolylmaleimide derivative, MS1 (2-[1-(3-aminopropyl)indol-3-yl]-3-(indol-3-yl)-N-methylmaleimide), against reperfusion injury of the heart. After anesthesia and artificial ventilation, Wistar rats were subjected to 30 min of left coronary artery occlusion followed by 120 min of reperfusion with or without treating the rats with MS1 (2.25 mumol.L-1.kg-1) before left coronary artery occlusion. Compared with the untreated hearts, MS1 treatment significantly reduced myocardial infarct size (35.1% +/- 3% vs. 75.5% +/- 5%, p < 0.001), reduced prevalence of apoptotic cells (2.6% +/- 0.5% vs. 12.2% +/- 2.1%, p < 0.001), prevented mitochondrial swelling and cytochrome c release, inhibited downregulation of antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 expression, and suppressed caspase-3 activation. In contrast, pretreatment with atractyloside, a mitochondrial permeability transition pore opener, abolished the protective effects of MS1. In conclusion, MS1 inhibits pathologic opening of permeability transition pores and protects the heart against reperfusion injury and pathologic apoptosis.

A novel bisindolylmaleimide derivative enhances functional recovery of heart after long-term hypothermic heart preservation.

BACKGROUND: Functional recovery following heart transplantation mainly depends on the ability of preservative solution in providing the physical and biochemical environment so as to maintain the viability of the tissue during preservation and in reperfusion. Here we demonstrate the protective effects of a novel bisindolylmaleimide derivative, MS1, on enhancing the functional recovery of the heart following long-term hypothermic preservation when added to the preservative solution. METHODS: After anesthesia and artificial ventilation, the hearts were rapidly isolated and perfused with Kreb's Henseleit buffer at 37 degrees C in working mode. After 30 minutes of perfusion, the hearts were arrested with cardioplegic solution and preserved in University of Wisconsin solution with (UW-MS1 group) or without MS1 (UW-Vehicle group) for 12 h at 4 degrees C. After 12 hours, the hearts were reperfused for 60 minutes. RESULTS: MS1 treated hearts showed: a) significant recovery of cardiac functions (P<0.001), b) well-preserved myocardial ATP levels (P<0.001), c) less myocardial water content (P<0.01), d) reduced oxidative stress (P<0.001), e) less intracellular swelling and well-preserved mitochondria, and g) activation of cell survival cascades compared to the control hearts preserved in UW solution without MS1. In contrast, these protective effects of MS1 were abolished on opening the permeability transition pore before MS1 treatment. CONCLUSION: These results altogether indicate the efficacy of this compound in protecting the myocardium against reperfusion injury and thus making this drug a clinically useful tool in patients undergoing reperfusion after cardiac surgeries.