Role of protein kinase C in intestinal ischemic preconditioning1,2

Brief mesenteric ischemia induces a reversible epithelial injury in rats associated with activation of several PKC isoforms. Injury induced by mesenteric ischemia is reduced by brief ischemic preconditioning, an effect that is abolished by nonselective PKC inhibition but not by a selective inhibitor of cPKC or PKCδ. The results suggest that activation of nPKC isoform(s), especially PKCε during and following ischemic insults (IPC), may play an important role in protection against I/R injury in the intestine.