Abstract 405: Inhibition of Class I Histone Deacetylases at Reperfusion Attenuates Ischemia-reperfusion Injury and Modifies Mitochondrial Acetylation

Although rapid reperfusion of ischemic tissue is the treatment of choice for myocardial infarction, much of the resultant damage occurs as a consequence of reperfusion itself. Previously, we have shown that pretreatment with MS-275, a selective class I histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, preserves left-ventricular (LV) function and substantially reduces the area of infarcted tissue in isolated rat hearts subjected to ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury. Here, we tested the hypothesis that MS-275 treatment at reperfusion reduces LV tissue damage and improves post-ischemic LV contractile function. To do this, hearts from male Sprague-Dawley rats were isolated and perfused ex vivo on a Langendorff perfusion apparatus. A saline-filled balloon was inserted into the left ventricle of the heart to monitor ventricular pressure development throughout the experiment. Hearts were subjected to 30 minutes of ischemia, followed by 60 minutes of reperfusion. MS-275 was administered during the entire reperfusion phase, and resultant functional data were compared to untreated hearts. There was no difference in any metric of pre-ischemic contractile function between groups. 10nM MS-275 administered at reperfusion significantly improved multiple measures of LV function, including dP/dtmax, -dP/dtmax, developed pressure and rate pressure product. We also observed a significant reduction in infarct area of treated hearts compared to control, as measured by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. Unexpectedly, mass spectrometry analysis revealed significant changes in acetylation state of multiple mitochondrial enzymes. Administration of MS-275 during the reperfusion phase of IR is sufficient to partially rescue LV function from reperfusion-induced damage. This study emphasizes the importance of exploring class I HDAC inhibitors for protection against ischemia-reperfusion.