Abstract: Objective: To explore the effect of sulforaphane(SFN) preconditioning on the cold myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI)in the rats through PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Methods: Sixty-four health male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into cold IRI group, SFN group, LY(LY294002)+cold IRI group, and LY+SFN group(n=16).The allogeneic heterotopic heart transplantation model was established by donor heart into recipient abdomen. The myocardium tissue was taken 24 h after reperfusion for the detection of histological changes using HE staining. The expression levels of Akt, p-Akt, Bax and Bcl-2 proteins were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western boltting methods. Results: The morphological results showed that the myocardium tissue damage was serious in cold IRI group and LY+cold IRI group, it was light in SFN group;the myocardium tissue damage of the rats in SFN+ LY group was ranged between cold IRI group and SFN group. Compared with IRI group, the expression levels of p-Akt protein and Bcl-2 protein in SFN group were increased(P<0.05),and the expression level of Bax protein was decreased(P<0.05). After treatment of blockage LY294002, compared with LY+cold IRI group,the expression level of p-Akt protein in LY+SFN group was not statistically significant(P>0.05), the expression level of Bcl2 protein was increased(P<0.05),the expression levels of Bax protein was decreased), and the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax was also increased(P<0.05). Conclusion: SFN may attenuate cold IRI of heart transplantation through PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in the rats.

Key words: apoptosis, PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, sulforaphane, heart transplantation, cold ischemia reperfusion injury