• Manuel Castellá, Gerald D Buckberg, Saleh Saleh, Zhongtuo Tan, and Louis J Ignarro.
• Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine, USA.
• J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. 2003 Nov 1; 126 (5): 1442-8.

ObjectivesThirty minutes of unprotected ischemia produced a jeopardized heart that was treated with a blood cardioplegic solution containing the natural erythrocyte and protein buffers. Cardioplegic pH was changed to 7.7 (buffered) or 7.2 (nonbuffered), and this was tested alone and after pretreatment with Na(+)-H(+) exchange blockade (cariporide) to define their protective effects.MethodsTwenty-four Yorkshire-Duroc pigs (27-34.5 kg) underwent 30 minutes of normothermic global ischemia, followed by 30 minutes of aortic clamping during protection with buffered (n = 12) or nonbuffered (n = 12) glutamate-aspartate-enriched blood cardioplegic solution. Twelve hearts (6 buffered and 6 nonbuffered) were pretreated with intravenous cariporide (5 mg/kg) 15 minutes before ischemia.ResultsSevere and comparable left ventricle dysfunction followed buffered or nonbuffered cardioplegia: Preload recruitable stroke work recovered to 56% +/- 21% and 45% +/- 20% of baseline levels; creatine kinase MB, conjugated dienes, and myeloperoxidase activity markedly increased; moderate myocardial edema occurred; and endothelin-1 increased 2-fold more than baseline values. Cariporide pretreatment caused a similar return of preload recruitable stroke work to 86% +/- 9% and 90% +/- 6% after buffered or nonbuffered cardioplegia (P <.05 vs nonpretreated groups), allowed only minor creatine kinase MB and conjugated diene changes, and reduced endothelin-1 release 3-fold compared with hearts without sodium-hydrogen exchange blockage.ConclusionsThe severe ischemia-reperfusion injury of 30 minutes of normothermic ischemia is not altered by an acidic or alkalotic pH cardioplegic solution. Correction of damage is achieved by adding Na(+)-H(+) exchange blocker therapy before treatment with buffered and nonbuffered solutions; thus, sodium-hydrogen exchange inhibition plays a more vital role in recovery than pH management.

40 keywords...

hide…