Researchers Study Mechanism Regulating Capillary Blood Flow in Heart after Heart Attack

Article title: Mechanism and potential treatment of the ‘no reflow’ phenomenon after acute myocardial infarction: role of pericytes and GPR39

Authors: Carmen Methner, Zhiping Cao, Anusha Mishra, Sanjiv Kaul

From the authors: “The results of the present study, for the first time, provide pathophysiological and mechanistic bases by which pericytes regulate myocardial capillary blood flow below the autoregulatory coronary pressure range, via GPR39 receptor, resulting in no reflow during [acute myocardial infarction].”

This study is highlighted as one of December’s “best of the best” as part of the American Physiological Society's APSselect program.