Effect of Cl- channel blockers on aconitine-induced arrhythmias in rat heart

The effects of Cl- channel blockers 5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoic acid (NPPB) and niflumic acid (NFA) on aconitine-induced arrhythmias were investigated. Left ventricular pressure and electrocardiogram were monitored in Langendorff-perfused rat hearts. Whole-cell patch-clamp and current-clamp techniques were used to measure sodium current (I(Na)) and action potential (AP), respectively, in single rat cardiac ventricular myocytes. Addition of the Na+ channel agonist aconitine (0.1 microM) to the perfusion solution produced polymorphic ventricular arrhythmias with a latent period of 25.5 +/- 6.3 s. NPPB could reverse aconitine-induced arrhythmias. A similar effect was observed by using NFA. NPPB and NFA reversibly depressed the upstroke of the AP in a dose-dependent manner with IC50 values of approximately 12.3 and approximately 73.1 microM, respectively, without significantly affecting the resting potential of rat ventricular myocytes. Both Cl- channel blockers inhibited I(Na) and induced a leftward shift of the steady-state inactivation of I(Na). In conclusion, the results of this study demonstrate that NPPB as well as NFA can suppress aconitine-induced arrhythmias in rat hearts mainly by inhibiting cardiac I(Na).     

Spontaneous and inducible ventricular arrhythmias after myocardial infarction in mice.

INTRODUCTION: Remodeling of gap junctions has been implicated in development of ventricular arrhythmias following myocardial infarction (MI) but the specific contribution of reduced electrical coupling is not known. We addressed this question using hearts from mice heterozygous for a connexin43 null allele (Cx43(+/-)). METHODS: To determine whether Cx43-deficient mice exhibit increased spontaneous ventricular arrhythmias in the setting of chronic ischemic heart disease, radiofrequency transmitters were implanted in wild-type and Cx43(+/-) mice 2 days or 9 weeks after left anterior descending coronary artery ligation or sham operations. ECGs were recorded from unanesthetized, unrestrained mice 1 and 10 weeks after MI. Isolated, perfused hearts excised 1 and 10 weeks after MI were subjected to programmed electrical stimulation to induce arrhythmias. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Hearts with infarcts exhibited more spontaneous and inducible arrhythmias, but there was no significant difference between wild-type and Cx43-deficient mice. Fewer hearts exhibited spontaneous ventricular tachycardia (VT) in vivo than were inducible in vitro, suggesting that structural and functional substrates for inducible VT in isolated hearts may not be sufficient for initiation and maintenance of sustained VT in vivo. Previous studies have shown that Cx43-deficient mice exhibit more VT than wild-type mice during acute regional ischemia. Mice with MI exhibit increased arrhythmias. However, reduced coupling in Cx43-deficient mice does not significantly enhance spontaneous or inducible VT after MI.     

三七茎叶皂苷对大鼠离体工作心脏血流动力学的影响

目的:研究三七茎叶皂苷(PnGL)对离体大鼠工作心脏血流动力学指标的影响。方法:采用Langendorff离体心脏灌流方法,以左室内压(LVSP)、左室舒张末压(LVEDP)、左室发展压(LVDP)、左室内压最大上升速率(+dp/dtmax)、左室内压最大下降速率(-dp/dtmax)、心率(HR)等血流动力学参数为指标,观察PnGL灌流30min~120min对心脏血流动力学的影响。结果:中、高剂量(10mg/L、30mg/L)PnGL灌流30min~120min可使LVSP、LVDP、+dp/dtmax明显升高,同时使HR明显减慢,与空白对照组比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05,P<0.01)。对LVEDP及-dp/dtmax虽有改善趋势,但差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论:PnGL对离体工作心脏具有正性肌力和负性频率作用。     

Histamine release and its effects in ischaemia-reperfusion injury of the isolated rat heart

Histamine is released from the heart during ischaemia-reperfusion injury. As histamine has cardiac effects, we investigated the role of histamine in ischaemia-reperfusion injury of isolated rat hearts. A Langendorff-model with 30 min global (37 ^oC) ischaemia followed by 60 min reperfusion was employed. The effects of ischaemia alone (n= 10, group 1.1+n = 10, group 2.1, 2 different series), and ischaemia with H₁- and H₂-receptor blockade with cimetidine (10 μM, n= 10), chlorpheniramine (10 μm, n= 8), terfenadine (10 μM, n= 8), and promethazin (10 μM, n= 9), or both cimetidine and chlorpheniramine (n = 8), were studied. Histamine was measured in the coronary effluent and cardiac tissue of group 1.1. Release of histamine increased from 6.5 ± 1 pmol min^-1 before ischaemia to 19 ± 3 pmol min^-1 at the start of reperfusion. Ischaemia decreased left ventricular developed pressure to 18 ± 11 % (1.1) and 50 ± 11 % (2.1) of initial value (mean ± SEM) at the start of reperfusion. Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure increased from 0 to 79 ± 8 mmHg (1.1) and 39 ± 9 (2.1) mmHg, while left ventricular systolic pressure was unchanged (101 ± 12% in 1.1 and 101 ± 10% in 2.1). Severe arrhythmias were induced in 90 (1.1) and 30 (2.1)% of the hearts, while coronary flow decreased during reperfusion. H₂-blockade did not modify the changes in left ventricular pressures, coronary flow, or heart rate induced by ischaemia. Three different Hj-blockers increased left ventricular systolic pressure, inhibited the decrease of developed pressure, attenuated the increase of end-diastolic pressure, and totally inhibited reperfusion arrhythmias. The effect of both blockers together was similar to that of H₁-blockers alone. Coronary flow was increased during reperfusion in two of the groups with Hj-blocker compared with ischaemic controls. Increased release of histamine from ischaemic-reperfused rat hearts concurred with depression of left ventricular function and arrhythmias during early reperfusion. Cardiac dysfunction during reperfusion was attenuated by three different Hj-receptor blockers.     

Can local ventricular fibrillation interval predict ventricular refractory period in human hearts?

Assessment of the spatial dispersion of ventricular refractory periods has become an important part of electrophysiological study in both experimental and clinical settings, because inhomogeneity of ventricular refractoriness is associated with an increased risk of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias. Previous animal studies in dog and sheep have demonstrated that local ventricular fibrillation (VF) intervals measured from the heart surface correlate well with the ventricular effective refractory periods measured from the same ventricular sites. We hypothesise that local VF intervals may also predict the ventricular refractory periods in human hearts, hence, can be used to assess the spatial dispersion of refractoriness and to predict the risk of ventricular arrhythmias.     

常温不停跳保存供心的超微结构和动力学变化

背景：心脏移植供心保护方法有向心脏正常生理状态改进的趋势,以期延长供心保存时间,改善供心的保存质量。理论上供心常温不停跳灌注保存是一种最接近生理状态的保存方法,有良好的发展潜力。 目的：观察连续灌注不停跳供心常温长时间保存心肌超微结构和左室血流动力学的变化。 方法：广西巴马小型猪24只,按随机数字表法分为不停跳连续灌注组和冷保存组,每组各6对。不停跳连续灌注组供心在顺行连续灌注跳动状态下切取,应用氧合血37 ℃、保存8 h后移植。冷保存组供心应用UW停搏液灌停后,0-4 ℃UW液保存8 h后移植。移植主动脉开放3 h观察供心左心室收缩压、左心室舒张压、左室平均压、左室舒张末压、左室内压最大上升和下降速率。记录移植后心律变化,需要除颤例数,以及主动脉开放3 h后能否脱离体外循环。主动脉开放3 h后取供心左心室前外侧壁心肌组织,观察线粒体及肌膜改变。 结果与结论：不停跳连续灌注组供心移植后左心室收缩压、左室平均压、左室舒张末压、左室内压最大上升和下降速率均优于冷保存组(P < 0.05);主动脉开放后不停跳连续灌注组均可保持窦性心律,冷保存组仅1例自主恢复窦性心律;主动脉开放后3 h不停跳连续灌注组5例可顺利脱机,冷保存组1例可以脱机;不停跳连续灌注组心肌超微结构保存良好。提示供心常温灌注不停跳方法有良好的心肌保护效果,适于供心的长期保存。     

Restrictive loss of plakoglobin in cardiomyocytes leads to arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) is an inheritable myocardial disorder associated with fibrofatty replacement of myocardium and ventricular arrhythmia. A subset of ARVC is categorized as Naxos disease, which is characterized by ARVC and a cutaneous disorder. A homozygous loss-of-function mutation of the Plakoglobin (Jup) gene, which encodes a major component of the desmosome and the adherens junction, had been identified in Naxos patients, although the underlying mechanism remained elusive. We generated Jup mutant mice by ablating Jup in cardiomyocytes. Jup mutant mice largely recapitulated the clinical manifestation of human ARVC: ventricular dilation and aneurysm, cardiac fibrosis, cardiac dysfunction and spontaneous ventricular arrhythmias. Ultra-structural analyses revealed that desmosomes were absent in Jup mutant myocardia, whereas adherens junctions and gap junctions were preserved. We found that ventricular arrhythmias were associated with progressive cardiomyopathy and fibrosis in Jup mutant hearts. Massive cell death contributed to the cardiomyocyte dropout in Jup mutant hearts. Despite the increase of β-catenin at adherens junctions in Jup mutant cardiomyoicytes, the Wnt/β-catenin-mediated signaling was not altered. Transforming growth factor-beta-mediated signaling was found significantly elevated in Jup mutant cardiomyocytes at the early stage of cardiomyopathy, suggesting an important pathogenic pathway for Jup-related ARVC. These findings have provided further insights for the pathogenesis of ARVC and potential therapeutic interventions.     

Attenuation of conduction delay by ischemic preconditioning reduces ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias

Ischemic preconditioning has been acknowledged as a powerful method of decreasing ischemic injury. However, the antiarrhythmic mechanism of ischemic preconditioning during ischemia is unclear. We studied the effects of ischemic preconditioning on arrhythmias and cardiac electrophysiology during ischemia in Langendorff rat hearts (n = 44). In the non-preconditioned group (PC(-); n = 24), the hearts underwent 5-min zero-flow global ischemia without any prior ischemic preconditioning. In the preconditioned group (PC(+); n = 20), the hearts were preconditioned by three cycles of 3-min zero-flow global ischemia and 5-min reperfusion before undergoing 5-min global ischemia. Ischemic preconditioning reduced the incidence of ischemia-induced arrhythmias (PC(-); 38.9%, PC(+): 8.3%, p < 0.05), shortened monophasic action potential duration (MAPD, P < 0.05), attenuated conduction delay (conduction time; PC(-): 234.2%, PC(+): 173.4%, P < 0.05) and increased the ventricular fibrillation threshold. Although the shortening of MAPD in PC(-) hearts was not influenced by the presence or absence of arrhythmias, conduction time prolongation at 3-min was more obvious in PC(-) hearts with arrhythmia than in PC(-) hearts without arrhythmia (PC(-) with arrhythmia: 220.2%, PC(-) without arrhythmia: 190.7%, P < 0.05). We concluded that ischemic preconditioning could protect the rat hearts from ischemia-induced arrhythmias and postulated that attenuation of conduction delay during ischemia might be an important factor in the antiarrhythmic action of ischemic preconditioning.     

Zacopride缺血后适应抑制大鼠缺血/再灌注性心律失常

目的:探讨心肌内向整流钾通道(K_(ir))激动剂zacopride缺血后适应对大鼠缺血/再灌注性心律失常的影响及可能的电生理学机制。方法:SD大鼠Langendorff离体灌流心脏和在体麻醉大鼠冠状动脉左前降支结扎15 min后松扎15 min诱发缺血/再灌注性心律失常。在冠状动脉左前降支松扎前3 min给予zacopride,观察缺血后适应对再灌注性心律失常的影响。胶原酶法分离大鼠单个心室肌细胞,应用全细胞膜片钳技术观察zacopride对心室肌细胞缺氧/复氧致延迟后除极的影响和对细胞膜表面ATP敏感性钾通道(KATP)的影响。结果:大鼠离体心脏再灌注时预先给予0.1~10μmol/L zacopride可有效抑制再灌注性心律失常的发生。其中0.1μmol/L zacopride为最大效应浓度,可使期前收缩数减少,室速和室颤发生率均下降,持续时间均缩短;再灌前3 min将1μmol/L BaCl_2和0.1μmol/L zacopride同时灌流心脏,BaCl_2可部分逆转zacopride的保护效应(P0.01),表明zacopride的后适应保护与其增强K_(ir)电流的作用有关。在1.5~5μg/kg剂量范围内,zacopride对大鼠在体再灌注诱发的室速和室颤有明显抑制效应,但对期前收缩数无明显影响。1.5μg/kg zacopride抗心律失常的效应与阳性对照药利多卡因(7.5 mg/kg)相似。进一步研究发现zacopride可有效抑制缺氧/复氧所致心室肌细胞延迟后除极,降低其发生率(P0.01)。Zacopride的上述效应与K_(ATP)无关。结论:Zacopride对大鼠缺血/再灌注性心律失常的抑制作用是由激活心肌细胞K_(ir)介导的。激活K_(ir)并消除延迟后除极所诱发的触发性活动可能是zacopride缺血后适应的主要机制。     

Endogenous nitric oxide attenuates hypoxic vasoconstriction of small pulmonary arteries and veins in anaesthetized cats

Ischaemic preconditioning has cardioprotective effects. Reactive oxygen species may be possible mediators. The present study investigated whether low doses of exogenous hydrogen peroxide could mimic preconditioning in isolated, Langendorff-perfused rat hearts. Hearts were subjected to two episodes of 3 min global ischaemia and 5 min reperfusion (n = 17), or were given 10 (n=15), 20 (n=10), 30 (n=20), 40 (n=18), 80 (n=17) or 160 μM (n=10) hydrogen peroxide for 10 min, followed by 10 min recovery, before 25 min global ischaemia and 60 min reperfusion, and compared with ischaemic controls of matching perfusion time (n=17 and n=23). Cardiac performance was assessed by heart rate, left ventricular systolic, end-diastolic and developed pressures, and coronary flow. Severe reperfusion arrhythmias occurred frequently in control hearts, and was attenuated by ischaemic preconditioning. All hearts pretreated with 160 μM hydrogen peroxide had severe arrhythmias throughout reperfusion, while these were not seen in any heart perfused with 20 μM hydrogen peroxide (P< 0.01 compared to controls). Ischaemia and reperfusion induced a minor decrease in heart rate, left ventricular systolic and developed pressures, and increased end-diastolic pressure. Ischaemic preconditioning attenuated the decrease of heart rate and the increase of end-diastolic pressure, and increased coronary flow, while hydrogen peroxide did not significantly attenuate these changes. In conclusion, a low dose of exogenous hydrogen peroxide before global ischaemia inhibited severe reperfusion arrhythmias, but had no other protective effects. The present work does not suggest that reactive oxygen species are important mediators of the preconditioning effects on stunning and arrhythmias in the rat heart.     

Reversible cardiac conduction block and defibrillation with high-frequency electric field

Electrical impulse propagation is an essential function in cardiac, skeletal muscle, and nervous tissue. Abnormalities in cardiac impulse propagation underlie lethal reentrant arrhythmias, including ventricular fibrillation. Temporary propagation block throughout the ventricular myocardium could possibly terminate these arrhythmias. Electrical stimulation has been applied to nervous tissue to cause reversible conduction block, but has not been explored sufficiently in cardiac tissue. We show that reversible propagation block can be achieved in cardiac tissue by holding myocardial cells in a refractory state for a designated period of time by applying a sustained sinusoidal high-frequency alternating current (HFAC); in doing so, reentrant arrhythmias are terminated. We demonstrate proof of concept using several models, including optically mapped monolayers of neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes, Langendorff-perfused guinea pig and rabbit hearts, intact anesthetized adult rabbits, and computer simulations of whole-heart impulse propagation. HFAC may be an effective and potentially safer alternative to direct current application, currently used to treat ventricular fibrillation.     

扎考必利对哇巴因诱发的成年大鼠心律失常的抑制作用

目的:观察内向整流钾通道激动剂扎考必利(zacopride)对哇巴因(ouabain)诱发的成年大鼠心律失常的影响,并探讨其电生理机制。方法:利用ouabain建立成年大鼠离体和在体心律失常模型,观察zacopride对各类心律失常的作用。应用全细胞膜片钳技术,观察zacopride对大鼠单个心室肌细胞内向整流钾电流(I_(K1))、静息膜电位(RMP)及延迟后除极(DADs)的影响。结果:浓度为1μmol/L的zacopride使ouabain诱发的离体心脏期前收缩个数、室速和室颤持续时间及发生率均显著降低(P0.05)。在麻醉大鼠,15μg/kg的zacopride使ouabain诱发的期前收缩个数、室速和室颤持续时间及发生率均显著降低(P0.05)。Ouabain使I_(K1)明显减小(P0.05),而0.1~10μmol/L zacopride可部分恢复甚至完全逆转ouabain对I_(K1)的抑制作用,其中1μmol/L为最大效应浓度。Ouabain使RMP减小(P0.05),应用zacopride(0.1~10μmol/L)后,RMP呈不同程度地增大,zacopride在1μmol/L时达最大效应浓度,使RMP增大至接近正常水平。1μmol/L的zacopride可有效抑制ouabain诱发的成年大鼠心室肌细胞DADs,使其发生率由91.67%下降至12.50%(P0.05);在灌流液中加入1μmol/L BaCl_2后,DADs再次出现。结论:内向整流钾通道激动剂zacopride对ouabain诱发的成年大鼠室性心律失常具有明显抑制作用,其机制与zacopride适度增强I_(K1)、使RMP负值增大并抑制DADs有关。     

The effect of heptanol on the electrical and contractile function of the isolated, perfused rabbit heart

Changes in cardiac gap junction expression, such as those following myocardial infarction and produced in connexin knockout mice, are associated with a predisposition to arrhythmias. The present experiments investigated the effects of heptanol, a reversible gap junction inhibitor, on isolated Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts. The introduction and withdrawal of heptanol inhibited both pressure generation and electrical conduction. These effects were completely reversible. Possible mechanisms for these findings were investigated through measurement of the concentration dependence of heptanol's effects upon conduction velocity and repolarization duration. Low concentrations of heptanol (less than 0.3 mM) caused small but significant increases in the delay between the stimulus (delivered to the basal septum) artefact and local activation of the left ventricle, as measured from bipolar electrogram (BEG) recordings. There was a steep increase in the latency between stimulus and left-ventricular activation at concentrations of heptanol above 0.3 mM. These findings are explicable by earlier reports of heptanol actions on gap junctions in vitro and modelling studies of the effects of reduced gap junction conductance on conduction velocity. Heptanol decreased repolarization duration, measured from the activation recovery interval (ARI) of BEGs, and monophasic action potential duration at 70% repolarization (MAPD70). Heptanol also reduced left-ventricular developed pressure (LVDP), and the maximum rates of contraction and relaxation of the left ventricle; these effects were concentration dependent and reversible. However, changes in ARIs, LVDP and the maximum rates of change of pressure lacked the steep response to 0.3-1.0 mM heptanol shown by the latency. These other effects are therefore likely to be mediated by cellular targets other than gap junctions. Perfusion of hearts with heptanol was also associated with a high incidence of arrhythmias. During premature stimulation protocols arrhythmias could be induced in hearts perfused with 0.1-0.3 mM heptanol but not at higher concentrations. This suggests that there is a critical range of slowed conduction that permits the development of re-entrant arrhythmias in the normal heart, although the effects of heptanol on repolarization duration may also contribute to its pro-arrhythmic activity.     

Ventricular histamine concentrations and arrhythmias during acute myocardial ischaemia in rats

The relation between ventricular histamine concentrations and the occurrence of early ventricular arrhythmias during acute myocardial ischaemia was investigated in pentobarbitone-anaesthetized rats. There was significant decrease in the left, but not the right, ventricular histamine level at 5 min following acute left coronary artery ligation. Pretreatment with rhodanine caused remarkable reduction in ventricular histamine concentrations as well as significantly lower incidence and slower onset of ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation resulting from acute myocardial ischaemia. On the contrary, aminoguanidine pretreatment did not significantly alter ventricular histamine levels nor did it influence the occurrence of early ventricular arrhythmias induced by coronary artery ligation. The responses of blood pressure and heart rate to acute coronary artery ligation were not noticeably affected by rhodanine or aminoguanidine pretreatment. These findings support the hypothesis that histamine release from cardiac tissues may contribute to the genesis of early ventricular arrhythmias, but not to the changes in blood pressure and heart rate, during acute myocardial ischaemia.     

The pathology of sudden cardiac death in patients with ischemic heart disease--arrhythmology for anatomic pathologists.

The goal of this review is to help anatomic pathologists interpret the significance of pathologic changes in the hearts of patients with coronary artery disease who died suddenly of spontaneous ventricular arrhythmias. Attention is focused on dynamic interactions between triggering events, such as acute ischemia, and stable anatomic substrates of arrhythmias, such as healed myocardial infarcts. A basic knowledge of arrhythmia mechanisms is necessary to understand the role of pathologic anatomy in the pathophysiology of sudden death.     

Refractory dispersion promotes conduction disturbance and arrhythmias in a Scn5a +/? mouse model

Accentuated right ventricular (RV) gradients in action potential duration (APD) have been implicated in the arrhythmogenicity observed in Brugada syndrome in studies assuming that ventricular effective refractory periods (VERPs) vary in concert with APDs. The present experiments use a genetically modified mouse model to explore spatial heterogeneities in VERP that in turn might affect conduction velocity, thereby causing arrhythmias. Activation latencies, APDs and VERPs recorded during programmed S1S2 protocols were compared in RV and left ventricular (LV) epicardia and endocardia of Langendorff-perfused wild-type (WT) and Scn5a (+/-) hearts. Scn5a (+/-) and WT hearts showed similar patterns of shorter VERPs in RV than LV epicardia, and in epicardia than endocardia. However, Scn5a (+/-) hearts showed longer VERPs, despite shorter APD(90)s, than WT in all regions examined. The pro- and anti-arrhythmic agents flecainide and quinidine increased regional VERPs despite respectively decreasing and increasing the corresponding APD(90)s particularly in Scn5a (+/-) RV epicardia. In contrast, Scn5a (+/-) hearts showed greater VERP gradients between neighbouring regions, particularly RV transmural gradients, than WT (9.1 ± 1.1 vs. 5.7 ± 0.5 ms, p < 0.05, n = 12). Flecainide increased (to 21 ± 0.9 ms, p < 0.05, n = 6) but quinidine decreased (to 4.5 ± 0.5 ms, p < 0.05, n = 6) these gradients, particularly across the Scn5a (+/-) RV. Finally, Scn5a (+/-) hearts showed greater conduction slowing than WT following S2 stimuli, particularly with flecainide administration. Rather than arrhythmogenesis resulting from increased transmural repolarization gradients in an early, phase 2, reentrant excitation mechanism, the present findings implicate RV VERP gradients in potential reentrant mechanisms involving impulse conduction slowed by partial refractoriness.     

Cyclic fluctuations in the cardiac performance of the isolated Langendorff-perfused mouse heart: pyruvate abolishes the fluctuations and has an anti-ischaemic effect

During the development of a Langendorff preparation of isolated mouse hearts, hitherto undescribed cyclic fluctuations in left ventricular pressure and coronary flow were independently observed in three laboratories. Isolated mouse hearts were perfused with crystalloid glucose-containing Krebs-Hensleit buffer in a constant pressure model, and left ventricular pressures were measured via an intraventricular balloon catheter. After acquiring technical skill in preparing the mouse hearts, the perfusionists observed that fluctuations in cardiac performance with a cycle period lasting 5-10 min occurred shortly after initiation of perfusion. Each fluctuation cycle consisted of a phase of increase and a phase of decrease. Synchronized with the fluctuations in left ventricular pressure, increases and decreases in dP/dt max took place. Analogous fluctuations in coronary flow occurred, with onset 1-2 min later than changes in left ventricular systolic pressure. In some preparations a gradual ST-segment elevation was seen on the electrocardiogram during the systolic pressure increase phase. The amplitude of the fluctuations could be augmented by increasing the perfusion pressure, and reduced, but not abolished, by lowering the pressure. Changes in buffer calcium, magnesium, or sodium concentration did not alter the fluctuations, nor did any change of anaesthetics, mouse strain, or left ventricular drainage. Altering the perfusion mode from constant pressure to constant flow did not prevent the occurrence of the cyclic fluctuations. The hearts became stable and the fluctuations disappeared when the buffer was supplemented with 2 mm pyruvate. In the present study, pyruvate given throughout stabilization and reperfusion also markedly attenuated the ischaemic insult, as evidenced by the delayed ischaemic contracture and a reduced magnitude of ischaemic contracture. A cardioprotective effect was only visible at early reperfusion, did not affect the final functional recovery. In conclusion, a phenomenon of cyclic fluctuations in left ventricular pressure followed by fluctuations in coronary flow was observed in isolated mouse hearts. These could be abolished by adding 2 mm pyruvate to the perfusion buffer. Pyruvate in the buffer also markedly attenuated the post-ischaemic deterioration of cardiac performance seen in this mouse model.     

Involvement of Ca(2+) in antiarrhythmic effect of ischemic preconditioning in isolated rat heart

We investigated the relationship between the effects of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) and Ca(2+) preconditioning (CPC) on reperfusion-induced arrhythmias. In the control group (noPC), Langendorff-perfused rat hearts were subjected to 5-min zero-flow global ischemia (I) followed by 15-min reperfusion (I/R). In ischemic preconditioning groups (IPC), the hearts were subjected to three cycles of 3-min global ischemia and 5-min reperfusion. In the CPC group, the hearts were exposed to three cycles of 3-min perfusion of higher Ca(2+) (2.3 mmol/l Ca(2+)) followed by 5-min perfusion of normal 1.3 mmol/l Ca(2+), and the hearts were then subjected to I/R. Verapamil was administered in several hearts of the IPC group (VR+IPC). Ventricular arrhythmias upon reperfusion were less frequently seen in the IPC and CPC groups than in the noPC and VR+IPC groups. IPC and CPC could attenuate conduction delay and enhance shortening of the monophasic action potential duration during ischemia. The ventricular fibrillation threshold measured at 1-min reperfusion was significantly higher in the IPC and CPC groups than in the noPC and VR+IPC groups. Verapamil completely abolished the salutary effects of IPC. These results demonstrate that Ca(2+) plays an important role in the antiarrhythmic effect of IPC during reperfusion.     

三氧化二砷预处理在离体心肌缺血-再灌注损伤中保护作用的初探

目的研究三氧化二砷（As2O3）预处理在心肌缺血-再灌注损伤中的保护作用,并初步探讨其机制。方法分别采用低中高三个剂量As2O3预处理大鼠,利用离体大鼠心脏Langendorff灌流模型,观察心功能、心肌梗死面积,SOD,MDA等指标的变化。结果As2O3预处理各组的左室舒张末压（LVDEP）、左室发展压（LVDP）、最大左室收缩速率（＋dP／dtmax）和最大左室舒张速率（-dP／dtmax）等各项心功能指标均得到明显改善,SOD活性显著升高,MDA含量大幅度下降。结论As2O3,预处理可对抗心肌缺血一再灌注性损伤,其作用可能与抗氧化应激有关。     

Cyclic fluctuations in the cardiac performance of the isolated Langendorff‐perfused mouse heart: pyruvate abolishes the fluctuations and has an anti‐ischaemic effect

During the development of a Langendorff preparation of isolated mouse hearts, hitherto undescribed cyclic fluctuations in left ventricular pressure and coronary flow were independently observed in three laboratories. Isolated mouse hearts were perfused with crystalloid glucose‐containing Krebs–Hensleit buffer in a constant pressure model, and left ventricular pressures were measured via an intraventricular balloon catheter. After acquiring technical skill in preparing the mouse hearts, the perfusionists observed that fluctuations in cardiac performance with a cycle period lasting 5–10 min occurred shortly after initiation of perfusion. Each fluctuation cycle consisted of a phase of increase and a phase of decrease. Synchronized with the fluctuations in left ventricular pressure, increases and decreases in dP/dt max took place. Analogous fluctuations in coronary flow occurred, with onset 1–2 min later than changes in left ventricular systolic pressure. In some preparations a gradual ST‐segment elevation was seen on the electrocardiogram during the systolic pressure increase phase. The amplitude of the fluctuations could be augmented by increasing the perfusion pressure, and reduced, but not abolished, by lowering the pressure. Changes in buffer calcium, magnesium, or sodium concentration did not alter the fluctuations, nor did any change of anaesthetics, mouse strain, or left ventricular drainage. Altering the perfusion mode from constant pressure to constant flow did not prevent the occurrence of the cyclic fluctuations. The hearts became stable and the fluctuations disappeared when the buffer was supplemented with 2 mm pyruvate. In the present study, pyruvate given throughout stabilization and reperfusion also markedly attenuated the ischaemic insult, as evidenced by the delayed ischaemic contracture and a reduced magnitude of ischaemic contracture. A cardioprotective effect was only visible at early reperfusion, did not affect the final functional recovery. In conclusion, a phenomenon of cyclic fluctuations in left ventricular pressure followed by fluctuations in coronary flow was observed in isolated mouse hearts. These could be abolished by adding 2 mm pyruvate to the perfusion buffer. Pyruvate in the buffer also markedly attenuated the post‐ischaemic deterioration of cardiac performance seen in this mouse model.