The Diabetic Heart: Too Sweet for Its Own Good?
Authors: Whittington H, Babu G, Mocanu M, Yellon D, Hausenloy D
Year: 2012
Source: Cardiology Research and Practice 2012:15 pages.
Abstract: Diabetes mellitus is a major risk factor for ischemic heart disease (IHD). Patients with diabetes and IHD experience worse clinical outcomes, suggesting that the diabetic heart may be more susceptible to ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). In contrast, the animal data suggests that the diabetic heart may be either more, equally, or even less susceptible to IRI. The conflicting animal data may be due to the choice of diabetic and/or IRI animal model. Ischemic conditioning, a phenomenon in which the heart is protected against IRI by one or more brief nonlethal periods of ischemia and reperfusion, may provide a novel cardioprotective strategy for the diabetic heart. Whether the diabetic heart is amenable to ischemic conditioning remains to be determined using relevant animal models of IRI and/or diabetes. In this paper, we review the limitations of the current experimental models used to investigate IRI and cardioprotection in the diabetic heart. Abstract originally from the Hindawi Publishing Corporation. Reprinted with permission under a Creative Commons Attribution license.
Institution: hannah.whittington.09@ucl.ac.uk. The Hatter Cardiovascular Institute, University College London, 67 Chenies Mews, London, WC1E 6HX
Language: English
Subject headings: Diabetes
Geographic areas: Europe, United Kingdom