Background: This study investigated whether an imbalance in Th1/Th2 cells is involved in the post-resuscitation myocardial immune dysfunction.
Methods: 26 Wuzhishan miniature pigs were randomly divided into return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) group (n=20) and sham-operated group (n=6), 20 pigs were subjected to 8min of electrically induced cardiac arrest, After successful ROSC, the 16 surviving pigs were randomly assigned to be sacrificed (n=8 per group) at 12 and 24h after ROSC, respectively. CD4(+) and CD8(+) lymphocyte subsets were determined by flow cytometry, interleukin (IL)-4 and interferon (IFN)-γ in the myocardium were measured by ELISA, and protein and mRNA levels of GATA-3 and T-bet were detected in the myocardium by Western blotting and quantitative real-time PCR in the post-ROSC group (n=8 per group) at 12 and 24h after ROSC and sham-operated group (n=6) at 24h after ROSC, respectively.
Results: CD4(+) lymphocyte subsets were significantly lower in the post-ROSC group compared with the sham-operated group (P<0.05) at 12 and 24h after ROSC. The levels of myocardium IFN-γ were markedly increased, while IL-4 was significantly decreased in the post-ROSC group compared with the sham-operated group (P<0.05) at 12 and 24h after ROSC. Protein expression and mRNA levels of T-bet were markedly increased in the myocardium of pigs in the post-ROSC group compared with the sham-operated group (P<0.05) at 12 and 24h after ROSC, while GATA-3 was significantly reduced (P<0.05).
Conclusion: The myocardial immune dysfunction induced by the change in expression levels of the transcription factors GATA-3 and T-bet may be involved in the process of post-resuscitation myocardial injury in a porcine model of cardiac arrest.
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