Cardioprotective properties of N-terminal galanin fragment (2-15) in experimental ischemia/reperfusion injury

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Galanin is an endogenous peptide involved in diverse physiological functions in the central nervous system including central cardiovascular regulation. The present study was designed to evaluate the potential effects of the short N-terminal galanin fragment 2-15 (G) on cardiac ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH: Peptide G was synthesized by the automatic solid phase method and identified by 1H-NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Experiments were performed on cultured rat cardiomyoblast (H9C2) cells, isolated perfused working rat hearts and anaesthetized open-chest rats. KEY RESULTS: Cell viability increased significantly after treatment with 10 and 50 nM of G peptide. In hypoxia and reoxygenation conditions, exposure of H9C2 cells to G peptide decreased cell apoptosis and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Postischemic infusion of G peptide reduced cell membrane damage and improved functional recovery in isolated hearts during reperfusion. These effects were accompanied by enhanced restoration of myocardial metabolic state. Treatment with G peptide at the onset of reperfusion induced minor changes in hemodynamic variables but significantly reduced infarct size and plasma levels of necrosis markers. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: These findings suggest that G peptide is effective in mitigating cardiac I/R injury, thereby providing a rationale for promising tool for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.