The measurement of heat production, mechanical power, and oxygen consumption of the isolated working rat heart

Use of losartan to examine the role of the cardiac renin-angiotensin system in myocardial dysfunction during ischemia and reperfusion

To assess the role of angiotensin II (AII) in the development of myocardial dysfunction during ischemia and reperfusion, the effects of either oral pretreatment with 1 mg/kg losartan or treatment with 4.5 mu M losartan in vitro were compared with effects measured in the respective placebo or in vitro control groups in an isolated rat working-heart model. Both groups treated with losartan showed significant improvement (p < 0.005) in functional recovery following 20 min of ischemia compared with the respective control groups. Coronary flow (CF) and cardiac output (CO) were also significantly increased during reperfusion in the drug treatment groups compared with controls (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). The recovery of mechanical function, CO, and CF was significantly more rapid in hearts from rats treated orally with losartan than in hearts treated with losartan in vitro. As measured by 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance, the changes observed in ATP levels and in intracellular pH during ischemia and reperfusion were essentially the same under either treatment regimen. This article describes the initial observation of a significant reduction in myocardial dysfunction during reperfusion following 20 min of global ischemia in the isolated perfused heart as a result of acute AII AT1 receptor antagonism by losartan administered either directly in vitro or by oral pretreatment.

31P NMR and triple quantum filtered 23Na NMR studies of the effects of inhibition of Na+/H+ exchange on intracellular sodium and pH in working and ischemic hearts

The triple quantum filtered 23Na NMR method is applied here to measure the effects of EIPA, a specific inhibitor of the Na+/H+ antiporter, on relative intracellular sodium concentrations in isolated working hearts at baseline, during ischemia, and at subsequent reperfusion. In analogy to the spectrophotometric isosbestic point, an approach is developed that defines a value of tau at which the effect of the relaxation times on the TQF signal intensities is minimized, and the signals are proportional to the sodium concentration for both ischemic and working hearts. EIPA at 1.5 microM significantly inhibited (P < 0.01) the influx of intracellular Na+ during 20 min of ischemia at 36.2 degrees C in this rat heart model. In parallel 31P NMR studies, EIPA had no effect on either the development of acidosis during ischemia or on the recovery of pHi during reperfusion despite its profound effect on intracellular Na+ influx. Thus, under our conditions the Na+/H+ antiporter did not play a critical role in the maintenance of intracellular pH. EIPA treatment resulted in improved recovery (P < 0.005) of mechanical function after 20 min of ischemia. [ATP] was higher in treated hearts during ischemia and reperfusion.

Inhibition of contractility during the early phase of total ischaemia in the working heart. Recovery during reperfusion

Total global ischaemia of the normothermic working rat heart caused an initial positive inotropic response characterized by vigorous contractions. After +/- 15 s this response reached a peak whereafter the isotonic contraction amplitude started to decline. After +/- 3.5 min the heart ceased to beat. The low level of high energy phosphates (HEP), determined 3 min after the onset of ischaemia, indicated that these phases of contractility during ischaemia might play a significant role in depleting HEP. This was substantiated by the observation that inhibition of the contractions during ischaemia by low calcium or high potassium solutions resulted in conservation of myocardial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and creatine phosphate (CP) stores. It also resulted in the prevention of contracture development during ischaemia and improved mechanical recovery during reperfusion. It was therefore concluded that inhibition of contractility immediately after the onset of total global ischaemia of the normothermic working rat heart is of prime importance in mechanical recovery during reperfusion.