Role of protein kinase C-ε (PKCε) in isoflurane-induced cardioprotection

Background.Volatile anaesthetics precondition the heart against infarction, an effect partly mediated by activation of the ε isoform of protein kinase C (PKCε). We investigated whether cardioprotection by activation of PKCε depends on the isoflurane concentration.Methods.Anaesthetized rats underwent 25 min of coronary artery occlusion followed by 120 min of reperfusion and were randomly assigned to the following groups (n=10 in each group):...