The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of simulated acute
hyperglycemia (HG) on PI3K/Akt signaling in preconditioned and non-preconditioned isolated rat hearts perfused with
Krebs-Henseleit solution containing normal (11 mmol/l) or elevated (22 mmol/
l) glucose subjected to
ischemia-reperfusion. Ischemic preconditioning (IP) was induced by two 5-min cycles of
coronary occlusion followed by 5-min reperfusion.
Protein levels of Akt, phosphorylated (activated) Akt (P-Akt), as well as contents of
BAX protein were assayed (Western blotting) in cytosolic fraction of myocardial tissue samples taken prior to and after 30-min global
ischemia and 40-min reperfusion. In "normoglycemic" conditions (NG), IP significantly increased P-Akt at the end of long-term
ischemia, while reperfusion led to its decrease together with the decline of BAX levels as compared to non-preconditioned hearts. On the contrary, under HG conditions, P-Akt tended to decline in IP-hearts after long-term
ischemia, and it was significantly higher after reperfusion than in non-preconditioned controls. No significant influence of IP on BAX levels at the end of I/R was observed under HG conditions. It seems that high
glucose may influence IP-induced activation of Akt and its downstream targets, as well as maintain persistent Akt activity that may be detrimental for the heart under above conditions.