Heat shock proteins (HSP72, HSP70, HSP60, HSP27) following cardioplegic arrest in human hearts

Heat Shock Proteins (HSP) appear to be rapidly synthesized in the myocardium of various species in response to ischemia, but little is known about their production and modulation in human heart. To evaluate the possible role of HSPs in the protection from ischemia-reperfusion injury, Hsp 72, Hsp 70, Hsp 60, Hsp 27 were measured in right atrium obtained at the open heart surgery from 8 children with congenital heart disease, before and after cardioplegic arrest (CEC). Each sample was submitted to Western Plot analysis, after electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), by using specific antisera. Cardiac tissue from pediatric patients contains measurable amounts of HSPs and their levels are not significantly increased following cardioplegic arrest. The stress inducible Hsp 72 is the prevalent protein and its levels are 9.0 +/- 2.4 mug/mg protein, mean +/- sem, before CEC and 9.5 +/- 2.9 after CEC.