Purpose: To study the degree of myocardial protection provided by intermittent infusion of normothermic blood cardioplegia during 60 minutes in normal rabbit hearts. Methods: The study was conducted on 32 New Zeland rabbits. There were 2 stages in this study: Stage I: Metabolic study after ischemia without reperfusion, and Stage II: Metabolic and functional study after reperfusion. The reperfusion was performed with a parabiotic system of perfusion. The glycogen concentration and mitochondrial respiration of the ventricular myocardium immediately after the intermittent infusion period of cardioplegia (Stage I) and after reperfusion (Stage II). During reperfusion the assessment of left ventricular function (dP/dtmax) was realized. Results: There was significant fall in myocardial glycogen levels of 58% in comparison with controls at the end of the intermittent infusion period of cardioplegia (Stage I). Glycogen level differences were not significant after reperfusion (Stage II). The differences in the results of the mitochondrial respiration were not significant in both Stages. The values of dP/dtmax, in Stage II were 903.39 ± 113.46 mmHg/s and 1.043 ± 256.94 mmHg/s, for experimental and control groups respectively. The difference was not significant. Conclusions: The intermittent anterograde normothermic blood cardioplegia infusion every 20 minutes during 60 minutes is an efficient method of myocardial protection in normal rabbit hearts.
Heart arrest, induced; Myocardial reperfusion; Myocardium; Ventricular function, left
