Intracellular diffusion of myoglobin. A manifestation of early cell injury in myocardial ischemia in dogs
Kent, S.P.
Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine 108(10): 827-830
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-9985 PMID: 6206821 Document Number: 229820
Myocardial ischemia was produced in 18 mongrel dogs by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery. The animals were killed 0.5-24 h after the onset of ischemia to study the intracellular diffusion of myoglobin by immunofluorescence and EM employing colloidal Au particles coated with antibody to myoglobin. In areas that showed early ischemia (0.5, 1 and 2 h), myoglobin had diffused into the nuclei and mitochondria had diffused into the nuclei and mitochondria of ischemic cells. This intranuclear diffusion of myoglobin was transient as it was not present in the 4-, 6-, 12- and 24-h areas of ischemia. This appearance and subsequent disappearance of intranuclear myoglobin may be useful in identifying early areas of myocardial ischemia that are not evident by histologic techniques. This pattern of diffusion may also be helpful in studying other types of cell injury.