A neural factor involved in increase of the glycogen phosphorylase activity after coronary ligation in both ischemic and nonischemic areas of the dog heart.

Abstract

We performed experiments to determine whether or not extracardiac factors are involved in the increase of the glycogen phosphorylase activity after coronary artery ligation in dog hearts. A branch of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was ligated for 1.5 minutes. The glycogen phosphorylase activity was determined in the endo- and epicardial layers. LAD ligation significantly increased the glycogen phosphorylase activity in both LAD (ischemic) and circumflex (nonischemic) areas. Pretreatment with reserpine (1 mg/kg, im, 24 hours before experiments) or hexamethonium (3 mg/kg, iv) prevented the LAD ligation-induced increase in the glycogen phosphorylase activity, but adrenalectomy did not. In the heart-lung preparation and stellectomized dogs, LAD ligation did not increase the glycogen phosphorylase activity in both ischemic and nonischemic areas. Changes in the glycogen phosphorylase activity in the endocardial layers were not essentially different from those in the epicardial layers. In other dogs, metabolic intermediates and ST segment of the surface electrocardiogram were measured. LAD ligation significantly decreased the tissue level of creatine phosphate and increased that of lactate in the ischemic but not in the nonischemic area. An elevation of ST segment occurred only in the ischemic area. Thus ischemic and nonischemic areas were confirmed. The ATP level, however, did not change in any of the ischemic and nonischemic areas. It is suggested that LAD ligation increases the glycogen phosphorylase activity in both ischemic and nonischemic areas probably by an increase in the efferent cardiac sympathetic nerve activity.