RESUMO
The leading cause of death in developed countries is cardiovascular disease, where coronary heart disease is the main cause of death. Myocardial reperfusion is the most significant method to prevent cell death after ischemia. However, restoration of blood flow may paradoxically lead to myocardial ischemiareperfusion injury (MI/RI) accompanied by metabolic disturbances and cardiomyocyte death. As the myocardium has an extremely limited ability to regenerate, the mechanisms of regulated cell death, including apoptosis, are the most significant for contemporary research due to their reversibility. BCL2 is a key antiapoptotic protein. There are several signaling pathways and compounds regulating BCL2, including PI3K/AKT and MEK1/ERK1/2, JAK2/STAT3, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, PTEN, cardiac ankyrin repeat protein and microRNA, which can serve as targets for modern methods of cardioprotective therapy inhibiting intrinsic apoptosis and saving viable cardiomyocytes after MI/RI. The present review considers the mechanisms of Bcl2regulated apoptosis in the development and treatment of MI/RI.