The role of autophagy in heart after ischemia-reperfusion

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading health problems in the world. One of these is myocardial ischemia (MI) that come first order. The underlying mechanism in MI pathology is obstruction of coronary arteries. Previous studies show that ischemia reperfusion injury causes more damage than ischemia injury. Two mechanisms, apoptosis and autophagy, seem to be involved in these damages. Autophagy is degradation of worn, degenerative organelle and long life protein in cells to their constituent and then use of these constituent by the same cell. In this study, we armed to study Atg5, Atg7, Atg10, Becn1 and Ulk1 genes that affect autophagy signal pathway myocard cells that are subjected to stress condition such as ischemia. In this study, 21 Wistar Albino adult male rats were used. Rats were divided into 3 groups; sham, ischemia, ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). Only laparotomy was applied to sham group. Ischemia lasting for 25 min. was induced in the left ventrical in ischemia group. 40 min. reperfusion was applied following 25 min. of ischemia in the left ventricle in I/R group. No surgical intervention was performed in the right ventricle of rats in ischemia and I/R groups. Tissue sample from of left and right ventricles of rat were taken. RNA isolation of whole samples was done. After all cDNA synthesis were done, and gene expresions were analysed using q-PCR method. Beta-actin was used as housekeeping gene. In present study; the expression of genes involved in autophagy, Atg5, Atg7, Atg10, Becn 1 and Ulk1 were decreased. However, expression Atg5 gene was significantly decreased. The lack of significant reduction in other genes, in addition to a significant decrease in Atg5 may indicate that Atg5 independent autophagy pathway was activated. As a result; Atg5 independent autophagy mechanism in cardiac ischemia should be studied further in detail.