Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the time course of calcium-induced postischemic reperfusion injury to the myocardium, using an initial short-term calcium-enriched reperfusion solution. The isolated rat heart model was subjected to 30 min of normothermic potassium cardioplegia-induced ischemic arrest. Control hearts received normal calcium Krebs-Henseliet buffer (KHB) reperfusion. Experimental hearts were challenged with 10 min of calcium-enriched (KHB) reperfusion starting at 0, 1, 2, 5, 15, and 30 min after the beginning of reperfusion. Aortic flow recovery 60 min after reperfusion was used to determine functional recovery. Control hearts recovered 82 ± 3% of preischemic aortic flow. Hearts which received calcium challenge at 0 and 1 min after the start of reperfusion recovered 43 ± 4 and 69 ± 3% of preischemic aortic flow, respectively ( P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). Hearts which received calcium challenge 2, 5, 15, and 30 min after reperfusion recovered 75 ± 2, 80 ± 2, 85 ± 2, and 83 ± 2% of preischemic aortic flow, respectively. Our results indicate that the postischemic myocardium is very susceptible to calcium-accentuated ischemic damage during the initial period of reperfusion. The post-ischemic heart, however, quickly recovers its ability to withstand a calcium challenge. Five minutes after the start of reperfusion the heart is not influenced by calcium challenge.

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