The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 92, 56-62, Copyright © 1986 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association
Myocardial energetics after thermally graded hyperkalemic crystalloid cardioplegic arrest
I Krukenkamp, N Silverman, D Sorlie, A Pridjian, H Feinberg and S Levitsky
Previous studies assessing the efficacy of myoprotective regimens have
compared preischemic and postischemic myocardial oxygen consumption within
a limited range of cardiac performance. However, recent data suggest that
ischemia-induced perturbations in myocardial energetics may occur only when
the left ventricle develops physiologic pressures. Therefore, in canine
hearts supported by cardiopulmonary bypass, myocardial oxygen consumption
(ml oxygen X 10(-2)/beat/100 gm left ventricular weight) was determined
during incremental isovolumic pressure-volume loading before and 30 minutes
after 2 hours of cardioplegic arrest. The ischemic insult was graded by
maintaining myocardial temperature at 12 degrees C (Group I, n = 6), 20
degrees C (Group II, n = 7), or 28 degrees C (Group III, n = 6).
Postischemic Starling curves were unchanged in Groups I and II but
depressed 53% in Group III hearts (p less than 0.005). In Group I,
postischemic myocardial oxygen consumption at specific peak developed
pressures was similar to preischemic oxygen consumption. In contrast,
postischemic Group II and III hearts consumed 39% more oxygen than
preischemically when peak developed pressure exceeded 75 mm Hg (p less than
0.01). Postischemic hearts demonstrated reciprocal changes in arteriovenous
oxygen content difference (24%, 30%, and 34% lower than preischemic values
for Groups I, II, and III, respectively) and coronary blood flow (156%,
195%, and 192% higher than preischemic values for Groups I, II, and III,
respectively). Only in Group II and III hearts did the increased coronary
blood flow offset the defect in oxygen extraction such that myocardial
oxygen consumption was increased. These data suggest that inefficient
utilization of oxygen when the heart is developing physiologic pressures is
a sensitive marker for myocardial injury after crystalloid cardioplegic
arrest.