Protective mechanism of metallothionein on cultivated rat cardiomyocytes in hypoxic preconditioning

AIM: Studying the mechanism of protective role of metallothionein(MT) in hypoxic preconditioning(HPC) of cultivated rat cardiomyocytes. METHODS:Using the model of hypoxia/reoxygenation of cultivated rat cardiomyocytes. Determining the contents of MT, malonyldialdehyde (MDA)-metabolism product of lipid peroxidation and the activities of Na⁺-K⁺ATPase, Ca²⁺-Mg²⁺ATPase of cardiomyocytes 24h after HPC, also determining the relevant changes after using MT antibody. RESULTS: After 24 h in HPC, the contents of MT and activities of Na⁺-K⁺ATPase, Ca²⁺-Mg²⁺ATPase were obviously higher than those in the control and hypoxia/reoxygenation(P＜0.05), and the contents of MDA were decreased remarkedly (P＜0.01). Then after using MT antibody, the activities of two enzyme were progressively decreased and the contents of MDA were significantly higher than those in the control and MT antibody-free groups(P＜0.01). CONCLUSION: HPC may induce excessive synthesis of MT, and MT can protect myocardial reoxygenation injury by eliminating lipid peroxidation and rising the activities of Na⁺-K⁺ATPase and Ca²⁺-Mg²⁺ATPase.