Malonate given at reperfusion prevents post-myocardial infarction heart failure by decreasing ischemia/reperfusion injury

The mitochondrial metabolite succinate is a key driver of ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI). Targeting succinate metabolism by inhibiting succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) upon reperfusion using malonate is an effective therapeutic strategy to achieve cardioprotection in the short term (< 24 h reperfusion) in mouse and pig in vivo myocardial infarction (MI) models. We aimed to assess whether inhibiting IRI with malonate given upon reperfusion could prevent post-MI heart failure (HF) assessed after 28 days. Male C57BL/6 J mice were subjected to 30 min left anterior coronary artery (LAD) occlusion, before reperfusion for 28 days. Malonate or without-malonate control was infused as a single dose upon reperfusion. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography and fibrosis by Masson’s trichrome staining. Reperfusion without malonate significantly reduced ejection fraction ( 47