Abstract
Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) is associated with mental health disorders such as cognitive impairment and depression. Neuroinflammation and cerebral microvascular dysfunction may play an important role herein. We previously showed an increased presence of the pro-inflammatory factors N-ε-Carboxymethyllysine (CML) and NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) in the microvasculature of the human infarcted heart and diabetic brain. In this study we have quantified the presence of CML and NOX2 in the cerebral microvasculature of patients in time after AMI.
Brain tissue was obtained at autopsy from 24 AMI patients and 9 control patients. According to their infarct age, the AMI patients were divided into three groups: 3–6 hours old (phase 1), 6 hours–5 days old (phase 2) and 5–14 days old (phase 3). The presence of CML and NOX2 in the microvasculature was quantified through immunohistochemical analysis.
We observed a significant approximately 2.5 fold increase in microvascular CML in phase 2 and phase 3 AMI patients in comparison with control patients (p=0.015). NOX2 was present in significantly more microvessels in phase 2 AMI patients compared to control patients (p=0.042). However, no correlation was found between CML and NOX2 (r=0.06, p=0.74).
AMI coincides with an increased presence of CML and NOX2 in the microvasculature of the brain. These data point to pro-inflammatory alterations in the brain microvasculature that may underlie the mental health disorders associated with AMI.
CML and NOX2 in the brain microvessels
Type of funding source: Private company. Main funding source(s): Novo Nordisk BV, European Foundation for the Study of Diabetes
