Transmural Anoxic Wave Front and Regional Dysfunction During Early Ischemia

The relative time courses of early changes in myocardial metabolism and function during anoxia, global ischemia, and regional ischemia were compared in isolated rat hearts. Transmural anoxic wave front was determined with NADH fluorescence photography, and oxygen saturation of myoglobin and dynamic systolic wall thickening were measured with spectrophotometry of light transmitted through the left ventricular free wall. In all three treatments, anoxic wave front first appeared in the subendocardium and reached the epicardial half of the myocardium in 10 s, when oxygen saturation of myoglobin decreased by 50% and tissue ATP and creatine phosphate remained at aerobic levels. During this period, systolic wall thickening decreased gradually in anoxia and global ischemia, whereas a marked decrease in systolic wall thickening and appearance of dyskinesia (wall thinning) occurred in regional ischemia. Thus the early extension of anoxic wave front and metabolic changes are similar with all three treatments, and dyskinesia, observed only in case of regional ischemia, occurs when the inner half is ischemic or anoxic.