Oral β-glucan reduces infarction size and improves regional contractile function in a porcine ischaemia/reperfusion model

We previously reported a cardioprotective effect of oral beta-glucan in patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting. The present study was conducted to determine whether oral beta-glucan could reduce myocardial infarction size and whether these changes would be reflected by better preservation of contractile indices measured by speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). Fourteen pigs were randomized to receive oral beta-glucan 50 mg/kg (n = 7) or placebo (control, n = 7) 10 days before they were anaesthetized and subjected to 1 h clamping of the left anterior descending coronary artery followed by reperfusion for 3 h. Longitudinal strain, circumferential strain and radial strain were assessed by STE after 3 h of reperfusion. Infarction size and area at risk were determined by Evans blue and 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. Pretreatment with beta-glucan reduced the infarct area/area at risk ratio by 36% (P < 0.05) and the total necrotic area of the left ventricle by 37% (P < 0.05) compared with controls. Viable myocardium at risk was 30% higher in the beta-glucan vs. control group (P < 0.05). Anterior apical strain values for beta-glucan vs. control were -4.7 +/- 9.4 vs. 5.9 +/- 6.1% (P < 0.05) for longitudinal strain, -14.7 +/- 6.6 vs. -7.7 +/- 4.3 (P < 0.05) for circumferential strain, 15.1 +/- 7.7 vs. 7.1 +/- 11.8 (ns) for radial strain. Oral beta-glucan pretreatment reduces infarction size and improves regional contractile function in a porcine ischaemia/reperfusion model.