SPECIFIC MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA DELETIONS IN CANINE MYOCARDIAL-ISCHEMIA

The effect of myocardial ischemia on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) structu re and the presence of specific mtDNA deletions was determined using t he model of Ameroid constriction of canine coronary arteries. The inci dence of specific deletions was high in both the endocardial and epica rdial tissues perfused by the occluded vessel as compared to myocardia l tissues perfused by the unconstricted vessels. Our results show that specific mtDNA deletions similar to the 5 kb and 7.4 kb human mtDNA d eletions occur following canine myocardial ischemia. However the prese nce of these deletions did not correlate with specific mitochondrial e nzyme defects.