Whole body hyperthermia and preconditioning of the heart: basic concepts, complexity, and potential mechanisms.

Abstract

Whole body hyperthermia (WBH) is a distinctive pathophysiological condition with significant impact on tissue metabolism and organ functions. WBH has been investigated as a promising adjunct therapy to the conventional chemo- or radiotherapy for treating certain types of cancer. Numerous studies have shown that WBH is associated with induction of heat shock proteins (HSPs), which in turn modulate cellular survival or death. A brief period of WBH (40-42 degrees C; 15-20 min) can induce delayed protection against lethal endotoxemia as well as various forms of injury in brain, heart, liver, lungs, small intestine, and skeletal muscle. This review article focuses on discussing the WBH-induced myocardial protection against ischemia/reperfusion injury. Most recently, possible involvement of protein kinase C, mitogen-activated protein kinases, nitric oxide, ATP-sensitive potassium channels, and neural peptides in the signal transduction pathways has been demonstrated. On the other hand, whether HSPs or antioxidant enzymes are the primary end-effector of the cardioprotection continues to be a matter of ongoing debates. It has also been recognized that the complex nature of WBH may be the responsible factor for the discordant results among various studies, especially across different animal species or strains, in terms of the time course and potency of WBH-induced cardioprotection. Nevertheless, a better understanding of the WBH-elicited myocardial ischemic resistance may have a wide spectrum of clinical implications as well as insightful inputs into the hyperthermic biology.

• Authors: L Xi, D Tekin, P Bhargava, R C Kukreja
• Journal: International journal of hyperthermia : the official journal of European Society for Hyperthermic Oncology, North American Hyperthermia Group (Int J Hyperthermia) 2001 Sep-Oct Vol. 17 Issue 5 Pg. 439-55 ISSN: 0265-6736 [Print] England
• PMID: 11587081 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S., Review)

Chemical References

• Heat-Shock Proteins
• Potassium Channels
• Reactive Oxygen Species
• Nitric Oxide
• Catalase
• Superoxide Dismutase
• Protein Kinases

Topics

• Animals
• Catalase (metabolism)
• Heat-Shock Proteins (metabolism)
• Hyperthermia, Induced
• Ischemic Preconditioning, Myocardial
• Nitric Oxide (metabolism)
• Potassium Channels (metabolism)
• Protein Kinases (metabolism)
• Reactive Oxygen Species
• Superoxide Dismutase (metabolism)