Timely reperfusion can salvage myocardium, yet reperfusion itself may contribute to cardiomyocyte death10. As post-ischemic blood flow is restored, hyper-osmotic extracellular fluid is replaced by normo-osmotic blood, creating an osmotic gradient favoring the movement of water into myocytes. Fragile sarcolemma resulting from energy-starved processes suffer mechanical stress-induced damage, and cells undergo necrosis11. Reperfusion may also produce myocyte death via inflammation, oxidation, apoptosis and autophagy12.