Journal of Inflammation (Jun 2012)
Intra-coronary administration of tacrolimus markedly attenuates infarct size and preserves heart function in porcine myocardial infarction
Abstract
Abstract Background We test the hypothesis that intra-coronary tacrolimus administration can limit infarct size and preserve left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) through ligating left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) in mini-pigs. Methods Twelve male mini-pigs were randomized into AMI-saline (MI-only) group and AMI-tacrolimus (MI-Tac) group that received intra-coronary saline (3.0 mL) and tacrolimus (0.5 mg in 2.5 mL saline) injection, respectively, beyond site of ligation 30 minutes after LAD occlusion. Results Larger infarct area was noted in MI-only group (p Conclusion Intra-coronary administration of tacrolimus significantly attenuated infarct size and preserved LV function.