Inhibition of mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening: translation to patients.

A large body of experimental evidence indicates that during an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), tissue injury occurring after reperfusion represents a significant amount of the whole, irreversible damage. It is now recognized that mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening plays a crucial role in this specific component of myocardial infarction. Ischaemic postconditioning and cyclosporine A (CsA) have been shown to dramatically reduce infarct size in many animal species. Recent proof-of-concept clinical trials support the idea that lethal myocardial reperfusion injury is also of significant importance in patients with ongoing AMI, and that targeting mitochondrial permeability transition by either percutaneous coronary intervention postconditioning or CsA can reduce infarct size and improve the recovery of contractile function after reperfusion. Large-scale trials are ongoing to address whether these new treatments may improve clinical outcome in reperfused AMI patients.