Influence of the terminal complement-complex on reperfusion injury, no-reflow and arrhythmias: a comparison between C6-competent and C6-deficient rabbits

Objective: The complement system has been suggested to play a role in reperfusion injury which may result from an enhanced destruction of myocardial tissue or from an impairment of reflow. We investigated the influence of the C5b-9 complement complex on infarct size, reflow and arrhythmogenesis. Methods: Twenty-eight C6-competent rabbits and 18 rabbits with congenital C6 deficiency were subjected to either 30 min or 2 h of coronary artery occlusion followed by reperfusion. C6 deficiency was confirmed by the complement titration test and immunohistology. The triphenyl tetrazolium chloride method was used to delineate infarct size. Reflow into infarcted areas was evaluated histologically afte…