Heat Shock Proteins after cardioplegic arrest and reperfusion in a swine model of cardiac surgery

The induction of Heat Shock Proteins (HSP) during ischemia and reperfusion indicates both protein damage and repairing process. The levels of Hsp 72, Hsp 70, Hsp 60, and Hsp 27 in cardiac tissue were evaluated in a swine animal model of extracorporeal circulation, cardioplegic arrest (I hour) and reperfusion (1 hour) (n = 8). Hearts not submitted to cardiac surgery were utilized as control (n = 3). HSP levels in right atrium and left ventricle, obtained by Western blot analysis after SDS-PAGE separation, are in the range of the mug/mg of total proteins in both conditions. Swine heart produces similar amount of Hsp 72, Hsp 70 and Hsp 60 while Hsp 27 is scarcely expressed. The extracorporeal circulation, cardioplegical arrest and reperfusion does not induce significant changes in HSPs in this swine model.