Karin Montet-Abou1, Jean-Luc Daire1, Jean-Pascal Jacob1, Manuel Jorge-Costa2, Denis R. Morel2, Jean-Paul Vallee1
1Radiology, Geneva University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland; 2Anesthesiological Investigation Unit, Geneva University Hospital, Geneva, Switzerland
Myocardial hibernation is a reversible state following chronic ischemia. Except for a very recent model of transgenic mouse no other rodent model has been developed. To fullfill this gap and understand hibernation we provoked partial stenosis of the left coronary artery. Magnetic Resonance Imaging permit to evaluate regional heart contraction and to class rats in four groups: normal, ischemic, hibernating, and infarcted pattern. Biological analysis of glycogen and lipid accumulation, troponin T disorganization, and fetal α smooth actin reexpression were shown. Although a variability of responses toward graded stenosis was obtained, MRI analysis permitted to discriminate different patterns following chronic ischemia.