Langendorff and ischemia in immature and neonatal myocardia. Two essential key-words in Today's cardiothoracic research

Background

Oscar Langendorff first published a method of nutrition of the isolated, mammal heart in 1895. Numerous studies have been performed on adult animals since then. With the growing incidence of pediatric heart surgery, however, studies were also done on immature, and neonatal myocardia. This article reviews the experimental efforts undertaken to protect immature and neonatal myocardia during cardiac surgery in comparison to the adult one.

Methods

The Langendorff preparation, used in most of the experiments mentioned above, is based on a retrograde aortic perfusion with physiological buffer. Due to the closure of the aortic valves, the fluid flows through the coronaries. Flow, pressure, rhythm, and biochemical analyses can be evaluated.

Results

Immature, or neonatal hearts have a higher tolerance of ischemia than adult ones. Possibilities of how to protect the myocardium will be briefly reviewed.

Conclusion:

The different energetic metabolism and the age dependent changes in the ultrastructures of immature and neonatal hearts call for a different kind of protection. Again, the Langendorff's method seems to be a successful experimental approach as it allows to study effects independently of the organism, and presents an experimental set-up with minor ethical concerns.