Glucose-insulin-potassium echocardiography detects improved segmental myocardial function and viable tissue shortly after acute myocardial infarction

The effect of insulin on the heart : Part 1: Effects on metabolism and function

Positive inotropic effects of insulin were described early after the isolation of insulin from the pancreas but data on the effect of insulin on the heart are conflicting. Systemic insulin administration results in a reduction in circulating free fatty acids and an improvement in myocardial glucose uptake, which causes an efficiency improvement in the myocardial cell. There is strong evidence that insulin administration results in functional improvement in dysfunctional myocardium. (Neth Heart J 2010;18:197-201.).

Effects of high-dose insulin infusion on left ventricular function in normal subjects

Background. Only a few studies have reported on the effect of high-dose insulin (HDI) infusion on cardiac function in healthy volunteers. Methods. We studied ten healthy volunteers with low-dose dobutamine (LDD, 10 mug/kg/min) echo-cardio-graphy and HDI echocardiography (insulin administration for one hour) by volume and Doppler analysis. Results. During LDD, cardiac output increased from 5.7+/-1.3 l/min to 9.0+/-2.1 l/min (p<0.001) and during HDI from 5.5+/-1.2 l/min to 6.2+/-1.1 l/min (p=0.048). Increase was not only due to increase in frequency, which was only present in the LDD study, but also due to increase in stroke volume (from 82+/-15 ml to 110+/-23 ml, p<0.001 during LDD and from 82+/-16 ml to 93+/-24 ml, p=0.014 during HDI). The increase in stroke volume was the result of a decrease in end-systolic volume with an unchanged end-diastolic volume. Conclusion. High-dose insulin infusion results in increased cardiac output by improving systolic myocardial function. (Neth Heart J 2010;18:183-9.).

Effects of GIK (glucose-insulin-potassium) on stress-induced myocardial ischaemia

Despite the evidence in experimental animal models that insulin, or GIK (glucose-insulin-potassium), improves left ventricular function and perfusion during both acute and chronic ischaemia, clinical studies have generated conflicting results. We tested the hypothesis that pretreatment with GIK attenuates the vascular and functional effects of stress-induced myocardial ischaemia in humans. Twenty-two patients with evidence of inducible myocardial ischaemia were enrolled; 11 patients with normal ventricular function underwent two dipyridamole echocardiography tests, and 11 with regional contractility defects from previous myocardial infarction were submitted to two ECG exercise tests combined with 201Tl myocardial perfusion scintigraphy; the tests were preceded by 60 min of either normal saline or an isoglycaemic GIK infusion. On a stress echocardiogram, a 30% reduction in the severity of ischaemia was observed. On ECG ergometry, GIK infusion slightly increased the time to ischaemia (+0.6 min, P=0.07); however, the higher workload (+8%, P=0.07) was achieved at a similar rate-pressure plateau. On scintigraphy, an increase in ischaemic segments (+48%, P<0.001) was imaged mainly at the expense of viable (but non-ischaemic) and non-viable segments, which were reduced by 60%. GIK affected stress-induced left ventricular underperfusion only marginally (GIK: 39.7+/-2.5 compared with saline: 35.4+/-2.2 units, P<0.05), but significantly improved its acute reversibility (-42+/-4 compared with -25+/-4%, P<0.001). We conclude that GIK pretreatment attenuates the effect of ischaemia on myocardial contractility, slightly improves exercise tolerance and causes a more rapid and diffuse recovery of post-ischaemic reperfusion.

Hyperglycemia contributes to cardiac dysfunction in a lipopolysaccharide-induced systemic inflammation model

OBJECTIVES

Hyperglycemia is frequently observed in nondiabetic patients during acute illness. Furthermore, intensive insulin therapy significantly reduces mortality and morbidity due to several critical illnesses, including cardiac or infectious diseases. The purpose of this study was to determine whether cardiac function is affected by hyperglycemia and its treatment with insulin.

DESIGN

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was administered intravenously to rats, with or without the administration of insulin with glucose.

SETTING

University Medical Center research laboratory.

SUBJECTS

Male Wistar rats.

INTERVENTIONS

In this study, we determined the effect of hyperglycemia and insulin therapy on cardiac function in an LPS-induced systemic inflammation model.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Levels of serum cytokines, nitrate/nitrite, and high-mobility group box 1 protein after LPS treatment were measured in hyperglycemic rats and those treated with insulin. The following parameters were examined to assess cardiac function in Langendorff-perfused hearts: left ventricular developed pressure, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, and left ventricular pressure development during isovolumetric contraction (+dP/dtmax) and relaxation (-dP/dtmin). We observed that levels of cytokines, nitrate/nitrite, and high-mobility group box 1 significantly increased. However, treatment of hyperglycemic rats with insulin was associated with significantly less severe disease as assessed by cytokine levels. Furthermore, hyperglycemia was associated with decreased +dP/dtmax and -dP/dtmin in Langendorff-perfused hearts of hyperglycemic rats, whereas insulin treatment improved these parameters.

CONCLUSIONS

Hyperglycemia was associated with the induction of various inflammatory mediators and an inhibition of cardiac function. Treatment of hyperglycemia with insulin protected against inflammation and cardiac dysfunction in a rat model of LPS-induced systemic inflammation. This improvement is likely because of the neutralization of deleterious effects associated with hyperglycemia and the specific actions of insulin on the inflammatory response.