Circulation Research, Vol 43, 750-758, Copyright © 1978 by American Heart Association

ARTICLES

Effects of well-defined ischemia on myocardial lysosomal and microsomal enzymes in a canine model

FF Kennett and WB Weglicki

We have used a new technique for extraction of myocardial membranes (0.25 M sucrose, 0.6 M KCl) to isolate particulate and soluble proteins and enzymatic activities in an effort to quantify changes characteristic of progressive ischemia. Myocardial blood flow (MBF) was measured with microspheres (15 micrometer diameter) in all samples of tissue used for assay of proteins and enzymatic activities; MBF to the moderately ischemic areas (M-ischemia) was 53% of control (H-control); MBF to the severely ischemic areas (L-ischemia) was 9% of control. Significant decreases (P less than 0.001) in content of protein were seen in all post 1,000 g pellets and supernatant fluids in the L- ischemia zones; particulate lysosomal enzymatic activity was significantly decreased (P less than 0.001) in all four post 1,000 g pellets (2,500 g to 140,000 g) of the L-ischemic areas (for N-acetyl- beta-glucosaminidase and beta-glucuronidase). The increase in percent free activity of lysosomal enzymes (index of loss of latency) also was highly significant (P less than 0.001) in all particulate fractions of the L-ischemic areas. In addition, about 45% of the total activity of the microsomal marker enzyme, rotenone-insensitive NADH cytochrome C reductase (RINCR), was found in the 140,000 g pellet of H-control tissue (9.9 micronmol/min per g); this activity fell to 8.1 micronmol/min per g in M-ischemic areas (P less than 0.001) and to 5.3 micronmol/min per g in L-ischemic areas (P less than 0.001). This study demonstrates that changes in myocardial proteins, lysosomes, and other membrane-bound enzymes (RINCR) may provide reproducible bichemical parameters for assessing ischemic myocardial injury.