The effect of reperfusion injury on myocyte apoptosis in rats

Objective Myocyte apotosis n rats was induced by Acute ischemia,but the influence of reperfution on myocyte apop-tosis in rats is unclear. Methods Fifty SD rats were divided into five groups at random,TdT-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay and ultrastructural pathology were performed to evaluate apoptosis in rat myocardium in vivo. Results TUNEL assay showed TUNEL positive cells in ischemic myocardium exposed to 3 hours,6 hours and 12 hours reperfution after 45 minutes ischemia,and apoptotic morphologic characters were found by ultrastructural pathology in above groups. Apoptotic index increased with increasing reperfution time(F0. 05). No above phenomena were present in 45 minutes ischemia and sham-operated hearts. Conclusion Myocyte apoptosis was directly induced by reperfution after ischemia,and apoptosis was a type of delayed cell death induced by reperfution.