Research
Synthetic torpor in the rat protects the heart from ischaemia-reperfusion injury
eLife · By Anthony E Pickering ·
The Brief
- An eLife article reports that synthetic torpor in rats protects the heart from ischaemia-reperfusion injury.
- Natural torpor is a reversible protective state marked by reduced core temperature, heart rate and oxygen consumption.
Why it matters
Ischaemia-reperfusion injury is damage that occurs when blood flow returns to tissue after a period of oxygen deprivation, and the study suggests a torpor-like state may protect the heart against it in rats.
Who’s affected
- cardiac researchers
- researchers studying torpor and hibernation physiology
- #torpor
- #ischaemia-reperfusion
- #heart
- #hypothermia
- #metabolism
During times of environmental stress, many animals enter torpor: a reversible protective physiological state typically characterised by reductions in core temperature, heart rate, and oxygen consumption. Species that naturally enter this hypothermic and hypometabolic state are…
Timeline
Article published in eLife
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Synthetic torpor in the rat protects the heart from ischaemia-reperfusion injury