Insulin-like growth factor-I improves recovery of cardiac performance during reperfusion in isolated rat heart by a wortmannin-sensitive mechanism.

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) has been shown to produce a short-term positive inotropic effect (PIE) in the myocardium under nonischemic conditions. IGF-I also conferred cytoprotection against ischemia and reperfusion injury in various organs. IGF-I may, therefore, facilitate the recovery of postischemic cardiac function. Isolated and crystalloid-perfused rat heart was subjected to 25 min of normothermic ischemia followed by 30 min of reperfusion. IGF-I produced PIE in a dose-dependent manner at concentrations ranging between 1 and 100 nM under nonischemic conditions. Although 1 nM isoproterenol produced much greater PIE and myocardial energy conversion efficiency (MECE) than did 65 nM IGF-I in this condition, the same concentration of IGF-I administered during reperfusion conferred better recovery of left ventricular function and MECE compared with isoproterenol. The improved cardiac performance by IGF-I was associated with lower release of creatine kinase (CK). Wortmannin (100 nM), a specific inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol kinase (PI-3 kinase), abrogated IGF-I-induced improvement of contractile function and inhibition of CK release in the postischemic heart. We conclude that IGF-I administered during reperfusion accelerates recovery of cardiac performance and mitigates myocardial injury through a wortmannin-sensitive mechanism.