Helium postconditioning regulates expression of caveolin-1 and-3 and induces RISK pathway activation after ischaemia/reperfusion in cardiac tissue of rats

Caveolae, lipid enriched invaginations of the plasma membrane, are epicentres of cellular signal transduction. The structural proteins of caveolae, caveolins, regulate effector pathways in anaesthetic-induced cardioprotection, including the RISK pathway. Helium (He) postconditioning (HePoc) is known to mimic anaesthetic conditioning and to prevent damage from myocardial infarction. We hypothesize that HePoc regulates caveolin-1 and caveolin-3 (Cav-1 and Cav-3) expression in the rat heart and activates the RISK pathway. Male Wistar rats (n=8, each group) were subjected to 25 min of cardiac ischaemia followed by reperfusion (I/R) for 5, 15 or 30 min (I/R 5/15/30). The HePoc groups underwent I/R with 70% helium ventilation during reperfusion (IR+He 5/15/30 min). Sham animals received surgical treatment without I/R. After each protocol blood and hearts were retrieved. Tissue was obtained from the area-at-risk (AAR) and non-area-at-risk (NAAR) and processed for western blot analyses and reverse-transcription-real-time-polymerase-chain-reaction (RT-qPCR). Protein analyses revealed increased amounts of Cav-1 and Cav-3 in the membrane of I/R+He15 (AAR: Cav1, P < 0.05; Cav-3, P < 0.05; both vs. I/R15). In serum, Cav-3 was found to be elevated in I/R+He15 (P < 0.05 vs. I/R15). RT-qPCR showed increased expression of Cav-1 in IR+He15 in AAR tissue (P < 0.05 vs. I/R15). Phosphorylation of RISK pathway proteins pERK1/2 (AAR: P < 0.05 vs. I/R15) and pAKT (AAR: P < 0.05; NAAR P < 0.05; both vs. I/R15) was elevated in the cytosolic fraction of I/R+ He15. These results suggest that 15 min of HePoc regulates Cav-1 and Cav-3 and activates RISK pathway kinases ERK1/2 and AKT. These processes might be crucially involved in HePoc mediated cardioprotection.