title: Improved protection of chronically inflow-limited myocardium with retrograde coronary sinus cardioplegia.
abstract: The effects of retrograde coronary sinus cardioplegia (CSC) and conventional aortic route cardioplegia (ARC) on reperfusion blood flow patterns were compared in 18 mongrel dogs having ameroid-induced coronary collaterals. Animals were placed on cardiopulmonary bypass and cooled systemically. The aorta was clamped, and the hearts were arrested with a bolus infusion of hypothermic (4 degrees C) hyperkalemic cardioplegic solution delivered either into the aortic root or through a balloon catheter placed in the coronary sinus. After 45 minutes of ischemic arrest, hearts were reperfused, and blood flow patterns were measured at 1, 5, 10, and 60 minutes. In the normal region, a significant hyperemia occurred with both CSC and ARC. However, the peak reactive transmural flow was 120% more with ARC than with CSC (4.55 +/- 0.45 vs. 2.12 +/- 0.19 ml/min/g, respectively; p less than 0.05) and remained elevated after 60 minutes of reperfusion, when CSC flows had returned to control levels. In the collateral-dependent region, a significant hyperemia was observed with ARC that persisted throughout reperfusion. However, with CSC, no significant changes in blood flow were detected at any time during reperfusion. Thus, the decreased hyperemic response after arrest suggests a reduced energetic debt with CSC compared with ARC and may indicate superior myocardial protection with CSC. This is particularly evident in chronically inflow-restricted myocardial regions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Physiology, East Carolina University School of Medicine, Greenville, NC 27858.
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Lust
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Beggerly
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Morrison
authors.forename: E H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Austin
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Chitwood
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D003331:Coronary Vessels; D004285:Dogs; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006324:Heart Arrest, Induced / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D015425:Myocardial Reperfusion