Overexpression of IAP-2 attenuates apoptosis and protects against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury in transgenic mice

Inhibitors of apoptosis proteins (IAPs) are key intrinsic regulators of caspases-3 and -7. During ischemia, IAP-2 is upregulated dramatically, while the other IAPs show little or no change. To test whether IAP-2 prevents cardiac apoptosis and injury following ischemia/reperfusion, we generated a line of transgenic mice that carried a mouse IAP-2 transgene. High levels of mouse IAP-2 transcripts and 70 kDa IAP-2 were expressed in the hearts of transgenic mice, whereas IAP-1 and XIAP levels remained the same. Immunohistochemical studies revealed more intense staining of IAP-2 in the myocytes of transgenic mouse hearts. To assess the role of IAP-2 in I/R injury, the transgenic mice were subjected to ligation of the left descending anterior coronary artery ligation followed by reperfusion. The infarct sizes, expressed as the percentage of the area at risk, were significantly smaller in the transgenic mice than in the non-transgenic mice (30 ± 2% vs. 44 ± 2%, respectively, P < 0.05). This protection was accompanied by a decrease of the serum level of troponin I in the transgenic mice. IAP-2 transgenic hearts had significantly fewer TUNEL-positive cardiac cells, which indicated an attenuation of apoptosis. Our results demonstrate that overexpression of IAP-2 renders the heart more resistant to apoptosis and I/R injury.