Alcohol and pyruvate cardioplegia. Twenty-four-hour in situ preservation of hamster hearts.
Isolated hamster hearts were first perfused with a normal Krebs-Henseleit medium to demonstrate comparable viability of hearts before perfusing and storing them for 24 hours in one of three solutions. The three solutions were a physiologic saline with pyruvate as the substrate and 4% alcohol to arrest the heart (group 1), a standard cardioplegic solution (group 2), and an alcohol-free physiologic saline with pyruvate as the substrate (group 3). Recovery in terms of rate/pressure product and oxygen consumption after 30 minutes of reperfusion was 81% and 93%, respectively, for group 1, 13% and 32% for group 2, and 70% and 72% for group 3. Percent of physiologic recovery was not related to recovery of adenosine triphosphate. The adenosine triphosphate level returned to approximately 40% control level in all three groups, and in all three groups inorganic phosphate remained approximately 320% over control level after 30 minutes of reperfusion. Phosphocreatine level significantly higher in groups 1 and 3 than in group 2, as a result of improved oxygen consumption. Intracellular pH, determined by phosphorous 31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, was physiologic in groups 1 and 3 but alkaline in group 2. This alkalinity may have been caused by leaky membranes. Pyruvate helped preserve mitochondrial function during depressed oxygen delivery, such as was seen during the 24-hour storage period. Four percent alcohol arrested the heart; combined with pyruvate plus alcohol solution were better than a standard cardioplegic solution for maintaining functional capability.
Wikman-Coffelt
J
J
Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco 94143.
Wagner
S
S
Wu
S
S
Parmley
W
W
D000818:Animals; D002314:Cardioplegic Solutions; D006224:Cricetinae; D000431:Ethanol; D006324:Heart Arrest, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D015425:Myocardial Reperfusion; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D009926:Organ Preservation; D011773:Pyruvates; D019289:Pyruvic Acid; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013997:Time Factors
D002314:Cardioplegic Solutions; D011773:Pyruvates; D000431:Ethanol; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D019289:Pyruvic Acid