title: Ventricular function and calcium handling during ischemia.
abstract: Ischemia-induced ventricular dysfunction has been shown to be associated with increased diastolic and systolic intracellular concentrations of free, ionized calcium ([CA2+]i). The present study was designed to determine the effects of the calcium antagonist nisoldipine on the relationship between [Ca2+]i and left ventricular contraction and relaxation during ischemia and reperfusion on a beat-to-beat basis. Nine isovolumic coronary-perfused ferret hearts were made globally ischemic for 3 min and reperfused for 10 min. Ischemia and reperfusion were repeated during perfusion with buffer containing 10(-8) M nisoldipine. From the left ventricular developed pressure, the time to peak pressure and time to 50% pressure decline were obtained. [Ca2+]i was determined with the bioluminescent protein aequorin. Global ischemia caused a rapid decline in contractile function and a significant increase in diastolic [Ca2+]i from 0.35 to 0.81 microM and in systolic [Ca2+]i, from 0.61 to 0.96 microM. During reperfusion, [Ca2+]i returned to baseline while ventricular function was still impaired. Relaxation was more affected than systolic contractile function (Fig. 1). Nisoldipine significantly reduced the ischemia-induced rise in diastolic [Ca2+]i to 0.62 microM and in systolic [Ca2+]i to 0.77 microM and lessened the decrease in contractile function. Nisoldipine significantly accelerated the decline in [Ca2+]i during reperfusion and improved recovery of contractility and relaxation. These effects were associated with a significant diminution in ischemic lactate production. Taken together, our results provide direct quantitative evidence on a beat-to-beat basis that the calcium antagonist nisoldipine can ameliorate ischemia-induced abnormalities in [Ca2+]i handling, an effect that was associated with improved myocardial function during early reperfusion.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D005289:Ferrets; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015425:Myocardial Reperfusion; D015737:Nisoldipine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D015737:Nisoldipine; D002118:Calcium