Adrenomedullin gene delivery attenuates myocardial infarction and apoptosis after ischemia and reperfusion

Adrenomedullin (AM) has been shown to protect against cardiac remodeling. In this study, we investigated the potential role of AM in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury through adenovirus-mediated gene delivery. One week after AM gene delivery, rats were subjected to 30-min coronary occlusion, followed by 2-h reperfusion. AM gene transfer significantly reduced the ratio of infarct size to ischemic area at risk and the occurrence of sustained ventricular fibrillation compared with control rats. AM gene delivery also attenuated apoptosis, assessed by both terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assay and DNA laddering. The effect of AM gene transfer on infarct size, arrhythmia, and apoptosis was abolished by an AM antagonist, calcitonin gene-related peptide [CGRP(8-37)]. Expression of human AM significantly increased cardiac cGMP levels and reduced superoxide production, superoxide density, NAD(P)H oxidase activity, p38 MAPK activation, and Bax levels. Moreover, AM increased Akt and Bad phosphorylation and Bcl-2 levels, but decreased caspase-3 activation. These results indicate that AM protects against myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, and apoptosis in I/R injury via suppression of oxidative stress-induced Bax and p38 MAPK phosphorylation and activation of the Akt-Bad-Bcl- 2 signaling pathway. Successful application of this technology may have a protective effect in coronary artery diseases.