Some biochemical aspects of the protective effect of trimetazidine on rat cardiomyocytes during hypoxia and reoxygenation.

This study was undertaken to evaluate the direct cardioprotective effect of trimetazidine (TMZ), an anti-anginal drug devoid of haemodynamic action, on isolated myocytes. Cultured rat ventricular myocytes were treated with the drug 16 h and 1 h before the experiments. The drug-treated cells and control cells were placed in a substrate free medium and submitted in a specially designed device to either normoxia (N4), or hypoxia (150 min, H2.5, or 240 min, H4), or 150 min hypoxia followed by 90 min reoxygenation (HR). The treatment of the cells with TMZ (5 x 10(-4) M) resulted in a significant decrease of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage (-58% in H2.5, -36% in H4 and -37% in HR). The LDH release provoked by oxidizing agents. H2O2 and 13-s-HpOTrE (13(S)-hydroperoxyoctadecatrienoic acid) during post-hypoxic reoxygenation was also lowered by TMZ. However, this effect reflected the beneficial action of TMZ during hypoxia since the drug was not efficient in altering the LDH leakage induced by the oxidizing agents in normal conditions. Moreover, the hypoxia-induced decrease of ATP content was not affected by TMZ, and resynthesis of ATP during substrate-free reoxygenation was similar in TMZ-treated and control cells. The respiration parameters have been studied in rat heart mitochondria isolated from control and TMZ-treated rats, in the presence or absence of TMZ in the respiration medium (10(-4) M). The main result was a rapid and potent inhibition of palmitoylcarnitine oxidation, when TMZ was added to the respiration medium. The chronic treatment only resulted in a slight alteration of pyruvate oxidation. In conclusion, a pre-treatment of ventricular myocytes with TMZ resulted in an increased cell resistance to hypoxic stress, as evidenced by LDH leakage. This cytoprotective effect of TMZ should not be mediated through an antioxidant activity, but could be related to a modification of lipid metabolism.