Open AccessRapid Surface Cooling by ThermoSuit System Dramatically Reduces Scar Size, Prevents Post‐Infarction Adverse Left Ventricular Remodeling, and Improves Cardiac Function in Rats
Author(s) -
Dai Wangde,
Herring Michael J.,
Hale Sharon L.,
Kloner Robert A.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of the american heart association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.494
H-Index - 85
ISSN - 2047-9980
DOI - 10.1161/jaha.115.002265
Subject(s) - medicine , hypothermia , cardiology , ejection fraction , ventricular remodeling , myocardial infarction , infarction , cardiac function curve , anesthesia , heart failure
Background The long‐term effects of transient hypothermia by the non‐invasive ThermoSuit apparatus on myocardial infarct ( MI ) scar size, left ventricular ( LV ) remodeling, and LV function were assessed in rat MI model. Methods and Results Rats were randomized to normothermic or hypothermic groups (n=14 in each group) and subjected to 30 minutes coronary artery occlusion and 6 weeks of reperfusion. For hypothermia therapy, rats were placed into the ThermoSuit apparatus at 2 minutes after the onset of coronary artery occlusion, were taken out of the apparatus when the core body temperature reached 32°C (in ≈8 minutes), and were then allowed to rewarm. After 6 weeks of recovery, rats treated with hypothermia demonstrated markedly reduced scar size (expressed as % of left ventricular area: hypothermia, 6.5±1.1%; normothermia, 19.4±1.7%; P =1.3×10 −6 ); and thicker anterior LV wall (hypothermia, 1.57±0.09 mm; normothermia, 1.07±0.05 mm; P =3.4×10 −5 ); decreased postmortem left ventricular volume (hypothermia, 0.45±0.04 mL; normothermia, 0.6±0.03 mL; P =0.028); and better LV fractional shortening by echocardiography (hypothermia, 37.2±2.8%; normothermia, 18.9±2.3%; P =0.0002) and LV ejection fraction by LV contrast ventriculography (hypothermia, 66.8±2.3%; normothermia, 56.0±2.0%; P =0.0014). Conclusions Rapid, transient non‐invasive surface cooling with the ThermoSuit apparatus in the acute phase of MI decreased scar size by 66.5%, attenuated adverse post‐infarct left ventricular dilation and remodeling, and improved cardiac function in the chronic phase of experimental MI .