Calpain inhibition decreases myocardial fibrosis in chronically ischemic hypercholesterolemic swine.

Objectives: Calpain activation during ischemia is known to play critical roles in myocardial remodeling. We hypothesize that calpain inhibition (CI) may serve to reverse and/or prevent fibrosis in chronically ischemic myocardium.

Methods: Yorkshire swine were fed a high-cholesterol diet for 4 weeks followed by placement of an ameroid constrictor on the left circumflex artery to induce myocardial ischemia.

Alcohol modulates autophagy and apoptosis in pig liver tissue.

Background: Autophagy serves as a cellular protective mechanism against alcohol-induced tissue injury but excessive autophagy can also be detrimental leading to apoptosis. Our laboratory has previously shown that moderate alcohol consumption alters expression of proteins in the insulin signaling pathway and worsens glucose metabolism in the liver in a swine model of metabolic syndrome. We examined the effect of alcohol consumption on apoptosis and autophagy signaling in the liver in our clinically relevant animal model of chronic hypercholesterolemia.