Cardiac Troponin I and cardiac Troponin T increases in pigs during ischemia-reperfusion damage

In this study we addressed the question of whether the measurement of cardi ac Troponin T (cTnT) and cardiac Troponin I (cTnI) is able to detect myocar dial cell damage in an ischemia-reperfusion model in pigs. To answer the qu estion 3 pigs were anaesthesized and a cardiac arrest was induced by electr ic fibrillation. After 5 minutes of global ischemia the cardiac arrest was reversed by electric defibrillation until normal perfusion was restored. We could clearly demonstrate an increase of cTnT and cTnI 30 minutes after re perfusion indicating myocardial injury during ischemia and subsequent reper fusion. The cTnT as well as the cTnI serum levels increased till 180 minute s after reperfusion. This ischemia-reperfusion injury is likely induced by oxygen radicals generated during hypoxia and subsequent reperfusion We conc lude from our first results that troponin measurements with commercial avai lable test kits may also reflect myocardial cell damage in pigs as it was r ecently demonstrated in rats. Further studies are needed for correlation of troponin serum levels and histopathological damage in this model especiall y if it is used to test beneficial or toxicological effects of radical neut ralizing drugs.