[Effect of ischemic preconditioning on myocardial bcl-2, bax, p53 gene expression during ischemia/reperfusion period in rabbits].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of ischemic preconditioning on myocardial bcl-2, bax, p53 gene expression during ischemia/reperfusion period in rabbits. METHODS: Twenty four rabbits were randomly allocated to three groups (n = 8), pseudo-operation group(Group P), ischemia/reperfusion group (Group IR) and ischemic preconditioning group(Group IP). Group IR and Group IP were subjected to three hours of left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion followed for three hours of reperfusion. Ischemic preconditioning was achieved by three 5-minute cycles of ischemia, each followed by 5 minutes of reperfusion. Apoptosis index(AI) and protein expression of Bcl-2, Bax, and p53 in the border zone of myocardium of ischemic area at risk were obtained with a flow cytometry. RESULTS: Compared with Group IR, AI was significantly reduced in Group IP(P < 0.01). Bcl-2 expressions was higher in Group IP than in Group IR, while bax and p53 expressions were lower in Group IP than in Group IR. CONCLUSION: The rabbit myocardial apoptosis induced by ischemic preconditioning inhibited ischemia-reperfusion in vivo partly related to the modulating of bcl-2, bax and p53 expression.