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Treatment of reperfusion injury with intracoronary calcium channel antagonists and reduced coronary free calcium concentration in regionally ischemic, reperfused porcine hearts.

The effect of intracoronary diltiazem, EGTA (ethylene-bis-(beta-aminomethylether)-N,N'-tetraacetic acid), nifedipine, verapamil and isotonic saline solution as placebo on reperfusion injury was investigated in regionally ischemic, reperfused porcine hearts. The left anterior descending coronary artery was distally occluded for 45 min and was reperfused for 3 days. Intracoronary infusion was started immediately before reperfusion and continued during 45 min of reperfusion. Infarct size was determined as the ratio of infarcted (tetrazolium stain) to ischemic myocardium (dye technique). Regional systolic shortening was assessed by sonomicrometry. Apart from left ventricular end-diastolic pressure before ischemia and during 45 min of reperfusion, global hemodynamic values in the five treatment groups did not differ; in particular, calculated left ventricular oxygen consumption before and during ischemia was equally low. Intracoronary EGTA decreased coronary venous free calcium concentration to about 70% of baseline value. Infarct size was reduced from 76 +/- 10% (control group, n = 8) to 60 +/- 10% (p less than 0.01) by intracoronary diltiazem (n = 8) and to 55 +/- 15% (p less than 0.01) by intracoronary EGTA (n = 8). Insignificant reductions in infarct size were found after treatment with intracoronary verapamil (63 +/- 18%, n = 8) and intracoronary nifedipine (68 +/- 9%, n = 7). Regional systolic shortening of the risk region, which did not differ among the groups before occlusion and during ischemia, recovered to the greatest extent in the EGTA-treated pigs (p less than 0.01 compared with values in the control group). Treatment with intracoronary calcium antagonists resulted in only marginal improvement of systolic shortening.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Reduction in reperfusion injury by blood-free reperfusion after experimental myocardial infarction.

Because myocardial reperfusion injury may be caused by various blood constituents, a transient period of blood-free reperfusion was evaluated in closed chest dogs subjected to a 90 min angioplasty balloon occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. In the treated group (n = 13), the balloon remained inflated for an additional 15 min while the infarct vessel was perfused with an acellular oxygenated perfluorochemical emulsion (Fluosol). The balloon was then deflated, permitting blood reperfusion. In the control group (n = 13), the balloon was deflated after 90 min of coronary occlusion. One week after infarction, the area at risk was defined in vivo by monastral blue dye staining, and the area of myocardial necrosis was assessed using triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining with histologic confirmation. Major determinants of infarct size, including rate-pressure product, area at risk and severity of myocardial ischemia (assessed by the extent of ST segment elevation during coronary occlusion), were not significantly different in the two groups. Treated dogs demonstrated a 47% reduction in infarct size expressed as a percent of the area at risk compared with control dogs (27.0 +/- 4.4% versus 50.8 +/- 4.4%, p less than 0.01). Treated dogs also demonstrated a superior global left ventricular ejection fraction (57.5 +/- 2.5% versus 51.0 +/- 2.2%, p less than 0.05) and anterolateral (regional) ejection fraction (32.6 +/- 3.6% versus 19.8 +/- 3.9%, p less than 0.05) compared with values in control dogs assessed by contrast ventriculography after 1 week of reperfusion. It is concluded that a transient period of blood-free reperfusion with an oxygenated perfluorochemical reduces reperfusion injury in a canine model of myocardial infarction.

Animals↗

Coronary flow velocity patterns immediately after reperfusion reflect the pathologic characteristics of reperfused myocardium in canine models of acute myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: It is difficult to evaluate the extent of myocardial injury after successful reperfusion following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We investigated the relationship between the coronary flow velocity pattern immediately after reperfusion and pathologic characteristics after myocardial reperfusion injury in dogs. METHODS: We measured distal coronary flow velocity variables in the left circumflex coronary artery in a canine model of AMI (n = 12) 10 min after the release of a clamp (3-10 h clamp procedure) using a 0.35 mm Doppler guide-wire. Dogs were divided into two groups according to presence or absence of early systolic retrograde coronary flow. Hearts were excised 2 h after reperfusion and examined histopathologically. RESULTS: The clamping time tended to be longer in dogs with early systolic retrograde coronary flow. Neutrophil infiltration was observed in the myocardium of dogs without systolic retrograde flow (n = 9); hemorrhage was rarely detectable and the myocardium maintained a bundle form. However, the bundle form of the myocardium became rough, and the severity of the incidence of hemorrhage tended to increase as the ratio of the diastolic coronary flow velocity to systolic velocity (DSVR) decreased. Vacuolar degeneration of the myocardium was also observed in hearts with a relatively low DSVR. In the group with systolic retrograde flow (n = 3), hearts were characterized by coagulation necrosis, marked vacuolar degeneration of the myocardium and diffusely distributed red cells in the intermyocytes. Systolic antegrade flow velocity was much reduced in this group, resulting in a markedly increased DSVR. These findings appeared to be related to severe myocardial damage. CONCLUSIONS: Coronary flow velocity patterns immediately after successful reperfusion appear to reflect the pathologic characteristics of the reperfused myocardium in dogs with AMI.

Animals↗

Proteasome inhibition ablates activation of NF-kappa B in myocardial reperfusion and reduces reperfusion injury.

Both acute coronary occlusion and reperfusion of an infarct-related artery lead to significant myocardial cell death. Recent evidence has been presented that activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) plays a critical role in reperfusion injury. NF-kappaB is usually bound to its inhibitor, IkappaB, and classic activation of NF-kappaB occurs when the 20S proteasome degrades IkappaB that has been phosphorylated and ubiquitinated. In this study, activation of NF-kappaB was inhibited by systemic administration of a 20S proteasome inhibitor (PS-519) in a porcine model of myocardial reperfusion injury. The experimental protocol induced myocardial ischemia in the distribution of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 1 h with subsequent reperfusion for 3 h. A single systemic treatment with PS-519 reduced 20S proteasome activity; blocked activation of NF-kappaB induced by reperfusion; reduced creatine kinase, creatine kinase-muscle-brain fraction, and troponin I release from the myocardium; preserved regional myocardial function measured by segmental shortening; significantly reduced the size of myocardial infarction; and exhibited no acute toxicity. These data show that myocardial reperfusion injury can be inhibited by using proteasome inhibitors, which likely function through the inhibition of NF-kappaB activation.

Acetylcysteine↗

Reduction of reperfusion injury by recombinant human superoxide dismutase administered intravenously just prior to reperfusion.

The reduction of reperfusion injury by intravenous administration of recombinant human superoxide dismutase (r-hSOD) was evaluated in a dog model. Two hours of left anterior coronary artery clamping were followed by 30 min of partial reperfusion and 30 min of full reperfusion. In the SOD group, r-hSOD (100,000 U/kg) was given intravenously 5 min before reperfusion. Measured left ventricular (LV) segments were classified thermographically by temperature drop into central (> or = 2 degrees C) and marginal (< 2 degrees C) areas. The regional LV functions were evaluated by percentages of both segmental (%SS) and active (%AS) shortening. In the central area, the %SS values after reperfusion were -9% in the control group and -3% in the SOD group (p < 0.05). The respective %AS values were 6 and 29% (p < 0.01). In the marginal area, both groups had %SS values of -3% and respective %AS values of 34 and 22% (all not significant) after reperfusion. In the central area, there was significantly better LV function recovery in the SOD group than in the control group.

Animals↗

Myocardial reperfusion and reperfusion injury: current views.

Salvage of the ischaemic/infarcting myocardium has been the goal of both experimental and clinical cardiologists for many years. Of the various approaches, including the array of pharmacological methods that have been tried to date, the restoration of myocardial blood flow must now be accepted as the undisputed means of achieving this goal. Thus while reperfusion appears to be the prerequisite for tissue salvage, as in many positive arenas, there tends to be a negative aspect. Not only does reperfusion salvage tissue but there appears to be evidence that the process of reperfusion itself also carries with it a component of injury which can prove deleterious to the ischemic myocardium. This article therefore addresses the concept of reperfusion and the important consequences, both positive and negative, which are associated with it. In turn we also address the importance and relevance of the various methods of evaluation of experimental procedures of reperfusion as well as discuss some of the pharmacological means that have been employed to protect the ischaemic and reperfused myocardium.

Animals↗

Postischemic cell death in reperfused porcine hearts is not attenuated by the spin trap agent PBN during early reperfusion.

Ischemic, reperfused porcine hearts were used to investigate whether the spin trap agent PBN (N-tert-butyl-alpha-phenylnitrone) attenuates postischemic cell death by scavenging of free radicals. The left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was ligated distally in 16 pigs for 45 min and then reperfused for 3 h. PBN (coronary concentration approximately 1 mM) was infused into the LAD of eight pigs during the first 45 min of reperfusion. Electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR) was performed to identify free radical adducts in the reperfused coronary venous blood. Regional systolic shortening (SS%) was determined by sonomicrometry. Infarct size was evaluated as the percentage of infarcted (tetrazolium stain) to ischemic (dye technique) myocardium. The transmural ultrastructural degree of myocardial injury as well as myocardial ATP levels were assessed at the end of the experiment. Intracoronary treatment with PBN during early reperfusion did not attenuate myocardial damage. Infarct sizes (control group 59 +/- 19%, treated group 55 +/- 14%), transmural ultrastructural alterations, myocardial ATP concentrations (control group 1.8 +/- 0.3 mumol/mg frozen weight, treated group 1.7 +/- 0.4 mumol/mg) and regional systolic shortening at the end of the experiments (control group -1 +/- 5%, treated group -2 +/- 6% did not differ significantly. Furthermore, under various experimental conditions of spin trapping, free radical adducts could not be identified in coronary venous blood during early reperfusion. The results suggest that the spin trap agent PBN (1 mM) does not affect postischemic cell death in porcine hearts.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Current perspectives on reperfusion therapy for acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: integrating pharmacologic and mechanical reperfusion strategies.

The therapeutic approach to patients with acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has advanced rapidly over the past decade. Intravenous fibrinolytic therapy remains the most common form of reperfusion therapy worldwide, since fibrinolytics are associated with a dramatic reduction in mortality rates. However, primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with improved outcomes and less bleeding complications compared with fibrinolytic therapy, but it is not widely available. Adjunctive therapies with intracoronary stents, glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitors, and more potent antithrombin agents have shown great promise for the initial treatment of STEMI and have stimulated further investigation of combined pharmacological/mechanical reperfusion strategies that may be synergistic. Although the optimal combination of fibrinolytics, antiplatelet agents, antithrombins, and mechanical reperfusion at hospitals with and without primary PCI facilities remains elusive, results from recent studies suggest that such a combined approach may facilitate transfer of patients with STEMI from a referral hospital to an invasive hospital for definitive primary PCI after administration of a potent pharmacologic regimen designed to enhance early infarct-related artery reperfusion. Thus, as the reperfusion era continues to evolve, the ideal treatment strategy for patients with STEMI is being redefined to integrate pharmacologic and mechanical approaches to reperfusion.

Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary↗

Quantification of myocardium at risk and detection of reperfusion by dynamic vectorcardiographic ST segment monitoring in a pig occlusion-reperfusion model.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to investigate whether continuous computerized vectorcardiographic monitoring of absolute spatial ST vector magnitude (ST-VM) and spatial ST change vector magnitude (STC-VM) during coronary occlusion could be used to estimate the size of myocardium at risk; and also to test whether reperfusion could be distinguished from sustained occlusion by continuous monitoring of ST vector alterations. METHODS: Computerised vectorcardiographic monitoring via Frank leads was applied in a closed chest occlusion-reperfusion pig model. Coronary occlusion over 24 h was produced in 20 animals by injecting a 2 mm ball into the left anterior descending coronary artery (n = 7), the right coronary artery (n = 8), and the left circumflex coronary artery (n = 5). Another 31 pigs were reperfused by retraction of the ball after 30 (n = 10), 60 (n = 15), or 90 (n = 6) min of left anterior descending artery occlusion. The extent of the myocardium at risk was measured by autoradiography. RESULTS: Seven animals were excluded. Irrespective of occluded coronary artery the relative parameters STC-VM over the first 30 min of occlusion correlated closely with area at risk, that is, the mean STC-VM between 10 and 30 min of occlusion (r = 0.78 p < 0.001). The absolute parameter ST vector magnitude (ST-VM) did not reflect ischaemia in 16/44 animals and did not correlate significantly with area at risk. The weight of myocardium at risk (MAR) was predictable from STC-VM: MAR weight (measured) = 0.97 x MAR weight (predicted) + 0.26 (g), r = 0.81, p < 0.001. STC-VM decline rate, time to STC-VM plateau, and cumulated sum plots of STC-VM were all able to distinguish reliably between reperfused animals and those with permanent occlusion. A paradoxical increase in STC-VM - "reperfusion peak" - was detected in 17/31 (55%) of the animals. This phenomenon was related to large amount of myocardium at risk or to a long occlusion time. CONCLUSION: Dynamic vectorcardiographic ST monitoring provides adequate estimation of myocardium at risk and enables detection of reperfusion in experimental myocardial ischaemia.

Animals↗

Effect of acidotic blood reperfusion on reperfusion injury after coronary artery occlusion in the dog heart.

A prolongation of the intracellular acidosis after myocardial ischemia can protect the myocardium against reperfusion injury. In isolated hearts, this was achieved by prolongation of the extracellular acidosis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether regional reperfusion with acidotic blood after coronary artery occlusion can reduce infarct size and improve myocardial function in vivo. Anesthetized open-chest dogs were instrumented for measurement of regional myocardial function, assessed by sonomicrometry as systolic wall thickening (sWT). Infarct size was determined by triphenyltetrazolium staining after 3 h of reperfusion. The left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was perfused through a bypass from the left carotid artery. The animals underwent 1 h of LAD occlusion and subsequent bypass-reperfusion with normal blood (control, n = 6) or blood equilibrated to pH = 6.8 by using 0.1 mM HCl during the first 30 min of reperfusion (HCl, n = 5). Regional collateral blood flow (RCBF) at 30-min occlusion was measured by using colored microspheres. There was no difference in recovery of sWT in the LAD-perfused area between the two groups at the end of the experiments [-2.8+/-1.2% (HCl) vs. -4.4+/-2.5% (control); mean +/- SEM; p = NS]. RCBF was comparable in both groups. Infarct size (percentage of area at risk) was reduced in the treatment group (12.8+/-2.8%) compared with the control group (26.2+/-4.8%; p < 0.05). These results indicate that reperfusion injury after coronary artery occlusion can be reduced by a prolonged local extracellular acidosis in vivo.

Acidosis↗

N-acetyl-L-cysteine for preventing lung reperfusion injury after liver ischemia-reperfusion: a possible dual protective mechanism in a dose-response study.

BACKGROUND: Acute lung reperfusion injury (ALI) frequently follows an ischemic event in another organ, such as organ transplantation. We recently demonstrated that lung priming with N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) prevented liver ischemia-reperfusion (IR)-induced ALI pending on reduced glutathione (GSH) amount of replenishment. We now assessed the therapeutic effect of NAC-in preventing ALI caused by liver IR-if administered to the lung during liver reperfusion. PROCEDURES: Rat isolated livers were stabilized (30 min) and then perfused with modified Krebs-Henseleit solution (control, n=20) or made globally ischemic (IR, n=20) for 2 hr. Rat lungs were isolated separately, ventilated, and stabilized (30 min) with Krebs plus 5% bovine albumin. Pairs of liver and lung were then reperfused together for 15 min, followed by only lung recirculation with the liver effluent for another 45 min. Three more controls (n=20 each) and three ischemic groups (n=20 each) included lungs which were treated with 100, 150 or 225 mg x kg(-1) NAC (0.5, 0.74, or 1.1 mmol, respectively) during the 15-min liver and lung reperfusion period. RESULTS: Pulmonary artery and ventilatory pressures and vascular resistance increased by 60-80% of baseline, compliance decreased, and bronchoalveolar lavage volume and content were abnormally high in the IR-nontreated and the IR-100 lungs. Most parameters in IR-150 and IR-225 lungs remained almost similar to controls. Postinsult GSH content in IR-100, -150, and -225 lungs was at 20%, 110%, and 90% above the IR-nontreated lungs, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Lung treatment with NAC during its reperfusion with IR liver effluent prevented ALI. Lung GSH replenishment accounted for lung protection, but its content did not correlate directly with grade of protection; NAC itself seemingly afforded lung protection as well.

Acetylcysteine↗

Modulation of severity of reperfusion stunning in the isolated rat heart by agents altering calcium flux at onset of reperfusion.

The present study tested the hypothesis that a reduction in calcium flux across the sarcolemma or the sarcoplasmic reticulum at the onset of reperfusion could attenuate subsequent mechanical "stunning" (postischemic myocardial dysfunction). The isolated working rat heart was subjected to 20 minutes of total global ischemia, reperfused in the Langendorff mode for 5 minutes, and then made to work again for 10 minutes. During the early reperfusion period (first 2 minutes), the effects of agents thought to increase cytosolic calcium (high external calcium [modified Tyrode's solution replaced Krebs-Henseleit buffer as the perfusate], isoproterenol, forskolin, and Bay K 8644) were tested. All these interventions worsened stunning. The cardiac output (CO) of control hearts recovered to 74.7 +/- 3.4%, whereas recovery was 56.3 +/- 3.7% (p less than 0.05) for high calcium (10 mM), 53.4 +/- 3.6% (p less than 0.05) for isoproterenol, 43.4 +/- 4.1% (p less than 0.05) for Bay K 8644, and 62.7 +/- 2.4% (p less than 0.002) for forskolin. Interventions aimed at limiting calcium flux during early reperfusion, such as reperfusion with a low extracellular calcium or the addition of ryanodine (3 x 10(-9) M), nisoldipine (10(-8) M), or the inorganic blockers Mn2+ (2 mM) or Mg2+ (16 mM), were also tested. Low extracellular calcium (0.75 mM) improved CO to 91.8 +/- 0.8% (p less than 0.05). Reperfusion with ryanodine and nisoldipine gave CO recoveries of 103.6 +/- 1.8% (p less than 0.002) and 99.0 +/- 2.8% (p less than 0.002), respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Effect of sodium selenite-enriched reperfusion solutions on rat cardiac ischemia reperfusion injury.

Cardiac surgery often generates oxidative stress leading to ischemia reperfusion injury (I-R). Antioxidants have been shown to prevent this injury and have been added to cardioplegic solutions to assist in recovery. In this study, we tested the effectiveness of sodium selenite in protecting against ischemia reperfusion injury and investigated the mechanisms behind this protection. Hearts from male Wistar rats were subjected to ischemia reperfusion using the Langendorf model. Krebs-Henseleit perfusion solutions were supplemented with 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, and 10 microM sodium selenite. Hearts were perfused for 30 min and then subjected to 22.5 min of global ischemia followed by 45 min reperfusion. Heart rate, ischemic contracture, end diastolic pressure, and developed ventricular pressure were monitored. At the completion of the experiment, hearts were homogenized and tissue extracts were assayed for glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and thioredoxin reductase (Thx-Red) activity. Sodium selenite, at a concentration of 0.5 microM, demonstrated a protective effect on the recovery of cardiac function following I-R, as evidenced by a lower end diastolic pressure and enhanced recovery of rate pressure product. There was no beneficial effect observed in hearts perfused with 0.1 microM sodium selenite-supplemented buffer, whereas poorer functional recovery was observed in hearts perfused with 10 microM sodium selenite-supplemented buffer. The beneficial effect of sodium selenite was not mediated through increased activity of GSH-Px or Thx-Red. This study demonstrates that the addition of sodium selenite to reperfusion solutions, at an optimal concentration of 0.5 microM, assists in cardiac recovery following ischemia reperfusion.

Animals↗

[Coronary microcirculation in myocardial reperfusion. The phenomenon of no-reperfusion].

PURPOSE: The study of the ultrastructural features of the coronary microvessels in postischemic reperfusion. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five mongrel dogs of either sex, weighing 2 to 17 kg were studied Each dog was anesthetized with 30 mg. of pentobarbital and ventilated with room air. A thoracotomy was done and the left descendent coronary artery was isolated. Aorta and right atria pressures, electrocardiogram and coronary blood flow was measured. After 90 minutes of coronary occlusion and 20 minutes of reperfusion carbon black was injected into the anterior descending coronary artery to identify the area of impaired perfusion. The heart was excised and placed in a ice-cold saline. The left ventricle was cut transversely in six slices of 1 cm thickness parallel to the atrioventricular sulcus. Tissue specimens were taken from the subendocardial, mid-myocardial (in the non reperfused area) subepicardial and control layers for electron microscopic examination. Each slice was then incubated in a 1% solution of triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) at 37 degrees C for 10 minutes. RESULTS: The infarcted areas showed widespread tissue damage with relaxed myofibrils cellular edema, swollen mitochondria with fractured cristae and nuclear changes. The vascular endothelium demonstrated severe injury with edema, cytoplasmic clearing, loss of pinocytotic vesicles, nuclear changes, formation of blebs into the vascular lumen and intravascular neutrophil. In the mid-myocardial layer, near the non reperfused vessels, a striking contrast was observed between the vessel and myocardium cells patterns. The usual picture was a severe vascular damage without myocyte injury. CONCLUSION: This study showed that prominent capillary damage with coagulation necrosis was the morphologic pattern observed in areas of myocardial infarction. In the mid-myocardium, near the non reperfused vessel, severe capillary damage was found in areas of preserved myocytes. Obstruction of flow at the capillary level, correlates well with the decrease of the coronary flow reserve observed during the post-ischemic reperfusion.

Animals↗

Intracoronary hyperosmotic mannitol during reperfusion does not affect infarct size in ischemic, reperfused porcine hearts.

We investigated the effect of reperfusion with hyperosmotic mannitol on the infarct size in porcine hearts. The distal half of the left anterior descending coronary artery was occluded in each of 21 anesthetized pigs for 75 min and was reperfused for 2 h. During reperfusion mannitol (1075 mosmol/kg) was intracoronarily infused at a dose of 0.5 ml/min in 6 pigs ("low" mannitol group), at a dose of 1.5 ml/min in another 6 pigs ("high" mannitol group), and at a dose of 5 ml/min in 3 pigs for the first 8 min of reperfusion ("very high" mannitol group). 6 pigs served as controls. Although mannitol infusion increased plasma osmolality in the ischemic, reperfused myocardium in all experiments, the infarct size expressed as the ratio of the infarcted tissue over the area at risk of necrosis was not significantly influenced. Infarct size amounted to 72 +/- 25% in the control group, to 75 +/- 14% in the "low" mannitol group, to 78 +/- 18% in the "high" mannitol group, and to 93 +/- 8% in the "very high" mannitol group. These results clearly indicate that reperfusion with hyperosmotic mannitol after 75 min of ischemia does not exert any beneficial effect on the infarct size.

Animals↗

Ablation of free radical-mediated reperfusion injury for the salvage of kidneys taken from non-heartbeating donors. A quantitative evaluation of the proportion of injury caused by reperfusion following periods of warm, cold, and combined warm and cold ischemia.

Postischemic renal failure is a severe problem following cadaveric renal transplantation, especially if the kidney has been harvested from a non-heartbeating donor, and thereby subjected to periods of both warm and cold ischemia. It is well established that a substantial component of postischemic injury is produced by oxygen-derived free radicals generated from xanthine oxidase at reperfusion. However, the clinical potential of free radical ablative therapy is dependent upon the proportion of the total injury caused by this reperfusion mechanism, compared with the proportion resulting from ischemic injury per se. Therefore, we quantitatively evaluated these proportions in porcine kidneys subjected to various periods of warm (renal artery occlusion in situ), cold (harvest, cold preservation, and allotransplantation), and combined warm and cold ischemia. Experiments were paired, one kidney treated with either superoxide dismutase (SOD) or allopurinol for free radical ablation, the contralateral kidney serving as a control. Creatinine clearance (Ccr) was measured separately for each kidney 48 hr after reperfusion. After 1 and 2 hr of warm ischemia, Ccr dropped to 50% and 36% of normal, respectively. This was improved to 110% and 55% when SOD was given into the renal artery at reperfusion. Similarly, after 24 and 48 hr of cold ischemia, kidney function was significantly improved from 30% and 18% to 72% and 47% of normal, respectively, when allopurinol was added to the preservation solution. SOD used at harvest and again at reperfusion was particularly effective following combined warm and cold ischemia, in a situation mimicking the harvest of cadaver kidneys from a non-heartbeating donor. These findings suggest that the ablation of free radical-mediated reperfusion injury may improve posttransplant renal function sufficiently to allow expansion of the cadaveric donor pool to include non-heartbeating donors.

Allopurinol↗

Reperfusion arrhythmias during coronary reperfusion therapy in man. Clinical and angiographic correlations.

We hypothesized that patients suffering acute myocardial infarction who have reperfusion arrhythmias (RPA) during intracoronary streptokinase infusion (ICSK) would have different clinical and angiographic characteristics and a larger infarction size than those who achieved reperfusion without RPA. Of 35 patients who received intracoronary streptokinase, 27 had successful reperfusion documented by angiography. Successful reperfusion was accompanied by RPA in eight patients and no RPA in 19 patients. RPA included episodes of ventricular tachycardia in one, idioventricular rhythm in four, junctional bradycardia in one, or AV block in two patients which occurred at the time of reperfusion. Myocardial infarction size was calculated using creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) isoenzyme time activity curves using standard methods. The mean CK-MB g equivalents (eq) for those with RPA was 71 +/- 25 (+/- 1 SD) and for those with no RPA was 45 +/- 24 (p less than .04). In patients with RPA, ejection fraction rose 5 +/- 14 percentage points before discharge, but fell 10 +/- 13 points in those with RPA (p less than .03). There was no difference between groups in total dose of streptokinase, final degree of stenosis of the affected vessel, reocclusion rate, or time from onset of symptoms to reperfusion. We conclude that patients suffering acute myocardial infarction who have RPA during ICSK in most cases have a larger infarction site or a more "stunned myocardium," as indicated by greater CK-MB release and fall in ejection fraction which is not due to increased time of ischemia.

Adult↗

Studies on myocardial reperfusion injury. I. Favorable modification by adjusting reperfusate pH.

This study tests the hypothesis that postischemic myocardial depression can be reduced by providing an initial reperfusate pH which is appropriate for myocardial temperature (i.e., metabolic systems function optimally when pH is kept slightly alkaline to the neutral point, which changes with temperature in concordance with the pK of water). Ten dogs underwent 1 hour of ischemic arrest with topical hypothermia (intramyocardial temperature 16+/-2 degrees C). The initial reperfusate (500 cc of blood from the extracorporeal circuit) was infused (100 cc/minute) into the proximal aorta just before removing the cross-clamp. Reperfusate pH was kept at 7.4 in five dogs (control) and raised to 7.8 with THAM [tris (hydroxymethyl) aminomethane] in five dogs. Measurements 30 minutes after reperfusion showed that raising reperfusate pH to 7.8 resulted in (1) higher subendocardial blood flows (109+/-20 vs 61 cc+/-8 cc/100 gm/minute), (2) redistribution of postischemic blood flow toward the subendocardium (endocardial/epicardial flow 1.25+/-0.1 vs 1.0+/-0.03), (3) higher left ventricular oxygen uptakes (0.046 vs 0.033 cc/100 gm/beat), (4) better postischemic left ventricular compliance (56+/-3% more compliant), and (5) improved left ventricular performance (88+/-7% recovery vs only 57+/-3% recovery at pH 7.4). Postischemic edema (2% water gain) was unchanged by pH modification. We conclude that initial reperfusion with the appropriate pH provides an optimal milieu for restoration of cellular metabolism, counteracts the acidosis of ischemia, and improves postischemic left ventricular blood flow, distribution, oxygen uptake, compliance, and performance.

Animals↗