Cause of organ damage after heart attack and stroke found

Succinate, a molecule made when the body breaks down sugars and fats, can cause long-term damage to organs following a heart attack, stroke or transplant according to new research involving UCL scientists. The team behind the study hopes that new therapies will be developed to protect organs from damage following the discovery. During a heart attack or stroke, a clot can starve the heart or brain of blood and oxygen, causing irreversible damage. Further damage occurs when the clot is dislodged and blood rushes back into the organ, and until now the reason for this was not clear. When the blood flow returns, the succinate drives the generation of harmful molecules called oxygen free radicals, which damage the cells and extend the area of injury in the organ. The scientists found succinate causes damage to a wide range of tissues in this way, so is an important target for future therapies to protect multiple organs from injury. The researchers identified the increase in succinate by measuring a range of different chemicals in the vital organs of mice before and after heart attack and stroke, in a technique called metabolomics.