Moderate alcohol consumption induces sustained cardiac protection by activating PKC-epsilon and Akt

Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2002 Jul;283(1):H165-74. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00408.2001.

Abstract

C57BL/6 mice were fed 18% ethanol (vol/vol) in drinking water for 12 wk. Isovolumic hearts were subjected to 20 min of ischemia and 30 min of reperfusion on a Langendorff apparatus. There were no differences in baseline hemodynamic function between hearts from ethanol (EtOH)-fed mice and controls. However, prior alcohol consumption doubled recovery of left ventricular developed pressure (68 +/- 8 vs. 33 +/- 8 mmHg for controls; n = 10, P < 0.05) and reduced creatine kinase release by half (0.26 +/- 0.04 vs. 0.51 +/- 0.08 U x min(-1) x g wet wt(-1) for controls; n = 10, P < 0.05). EtOH feeding doubled expression of activated protein kinase C epsilon (PKC)epsilon (n = 6, P < 0.05); whereas PKC inhibition blocked protection during ischemia-reperfusion. EtOH feeding also increased expression of Akt three- to fivefold (n = 6, P < 0.05), whereas PKC inhibition prevented increases in Akt kinase activity. We conclude that signaling pathways involving PKC-epsilon are critical for sustained EtOH-mediated cardioprotection and that Akt may be a downstream effector of resistance to myocardial reperfusion injury.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Alkaloids
  • Animals
  • Benzophenanthridines
  • Body Weight / drug effects
  • Creatine Kinase / metabolism
  • Enzyme Activation / drug effects
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Ethanol / pharmacology*
  • Heart / drug effects*
  • Heart / physiology
  • Hemodynamics / drug effects
  • In Vitro Techniques
  • Isoenzymes / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Isoenzymes / metabolism*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Myocardial Contraction / drug effects
  • Myocardial Contraction / physiology
  • Myocardial Ischemia / metabolism
  • Myocardial Reperfusion
  • Myocardium / enzymology*
  • Organ Size / drug effects
  • Peptides / pharmacology
  • Phenanthridines / pharmacology
  • Protein Kinase C / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Protein Kinase C / metabolism*
  • Protein Kinase C-epsilon
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases*
  • Protein Transport / drug effects
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Recovery of Function / drug effects
  • Reperfusion Injury / prevention & control
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects
  • Signal Transduction / physiology

Substances

  • Alkaloids
  • Benzophenanthridines
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Isoenzymes
  • Peptides
  • Phenanthridines
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Ethanol
  • chelerythrine
  • Prkce protein, mouse
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Protein Kinase C
  • Protein Kinase C-epsilon
  • Creatine Kinase