Abstract 13483: Peptide Inhibition of PTEN Improves Metabolic Recovery and Outcomes in a Murine Cardiac Arrest Model

Introduction: Recent work shows that PTEN inhibition protects against cardiomyocyte contractile dysfunction and death following ischemia/reperfusion. To further determine whether PTEN inhibition improves metabolic recovery and survival in a mouse model of cardiac arrest, we have designed a TAT fused cell-permeable peptide (TAT-PTEN9c) based on the c-terminal PDZ binding motif of PTEN for rapid tissue delivery. We hypothesized that TAT-PTEN9c interferes with endogenous PTEN binding to cell membrane adaptors resulting in increased Akt activation, causing Akt-enhanced glucose utilization (with decreased diversion of glucose via the alternate polyol pathway to sorbitol) and improved survival. Methods: Mouse cardiomyocytes were isolated from 1-3 day old mouse pups. Western blot was used to identify concentrations of TAT-PTEN9c that enhanced Akt phosphorylation in mouse cardiomyocytes exposed to oxidant stress. C57BL6 mice were then subjected to an established KCL-induced 8 min cardiac arrest protocol. 30 mice ...