Improved Myocardial Contractility with Glucose-Insulin-Potassium Infusion During Pacing in Coronary Artery Disease

Abstract

Abstract The metabolic and mechanical effects of a solution of glucose-insulin-potassium (G-I-K) were investigated in 18 patients who underwent diagnostic cardiac catheterization for coronary artery disease. All patients were paced at a rate of approximately 140 beats/min before and after infusion of G-I-K. Basal and paced left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic pressure, dP dt , arterial substrate levels and osmolarity were measured in all 18 patients. In 13 patients cardiac index was also measured. In 5 patients arterial-coronary sinus measurements of oxygen, carbon dioxide, glucose, free fatty acids, lactate, alanine, glutamate, glutamine, ammonia and urea were made, in addition to coronary sinus blood flow. G-I-K increased the blood sugar level to approximately 200 mg/dl and raised the serum osmolarity 9 mosmol. Pacing alone raised the cardiac index 4% and pacing with G-I-K increased the cardiac index 6% (p dP dt (21%) and pacing with G-I-K increased it (30%) (p