Melatonin membrane receptor 2 activation is a key determinant for melatonin-mediated cardioprotection in cardiac ischaemia-reperfusion injury
Authors: Singhanat K , Apaijai N , Jaiwongkam T , Kerdphoo S , Chattipakorn S.C , Chattipakorn N 
Published: November 2020

Background

Cardiac ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury has been an economic and health burden worldwide. Previous studies have reported the beneficial effects of melatonin when given prior to cardiac ischaemia in animals with cardiac I/R injury. However, the effects of melatonin on the hearts when it is given after ischaemia or at the onset of reperfusion, which is more relevant to the clinical setting, is not known. Moreover, the mechanisms responsible for the potential benefits of melatonin and the roles of melatonin receptors on the heart during cardiac I/R injury have not been fully investigated.

Purpose

We tested the hypothesis that in rats with cardiac I/R injury, melatonin exerts cardioprotective effects even when it is given after ischaemia via an activation of both melatonin receptors 1 (MT1) and 2 (MT2), leading to decreased mitochondrial dysfunction, mitochondrial dynamics imbalance, excessive mitophagy, cardiomyocyte death and finally resulting in decreased infarct size and improved left ventricular (LV) function.

Methods

Male Wistar rats were subjected to cardiac I/R (30 min of LAD ligation and 120 min of reperfusion). These rats were divided into 4 interventions (n=12/group) including vehicle, pretreatment with melatonin, melatonin treatment during ischaemia, or at the onset of reperfusion. Melatonin was given to the rats at the dose of 10 mg/kg via intravenous injection. In addition, either a non-specific melatonin receptor blocker (Luzindole) or specific MT2 blocker (4-PPDOT) at 1 mg/kg was given intravenously to 2 additional sets of rats (n=12/set) prior to melatonin and cardiac I/R induction. At the end of cardiac I/R, infarct size, LV function, and molecular mechanisms were determined. Furthermore, in vitro experiment was conducted in MT1 or MT2 silenced H9C2 cell with hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) to investigate the mechanism underlying cardioprotective effects of melatonin during cardiac I/R.

Results

Rats in all melatonin-treated groups had similarly reduced cardiac I/R injury as indicated by reduced infarct size (Fig. 1A), arrhythmia score. Melatonin-treated rats also had decreased mitochondrial ROS production, mitochondrial depolarization and swelling, decreased p-Drp1/Drp1 ratio (Fig. 1B) and increased Mfn1, Mfn2, and OPA1, and decreased apoptosis, leading to increased %LVEF. Luzindole and 4-PPDOT abolished these protective effects of melatonin (Fig. 1A). In in vitro study, melatonin increased %cell viability (Fig. 1C), reduced mitochondrial dynamics imbalance and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in H9C2 cells with H/R. However, these beneficial effects of melatonin were abrogated only in MT2 silenced H9C2 cell with H/R.

Conclusion

Melatonin exerted both preventive and treatment effects in reducing cardiac I/R injury. Its cardioprotective effects were dependent upon the activation of MT2 receptor.

Figure 1

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): National Science and Technology Development Agency of Thailand