Inverse relationship between ESR spin trapping of oxyradicals and degree of functional recovery during myocardial reperfusion in isolated working rat heart

The aim of the study was to investigate the generation of free oxyradicals as factors in myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion pathology. Isolated perfused rat hearts were subjected to 30 min global ischaemia followed by reperfusion. The spin trap 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-1-oxide was added to the effluent of the heart to avoid pharmacological interaction with the heart. The effluent was then analysed by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. Studies were performed on hearts of 51 male Sprague-Dawley rats, weight 300-350 g. During reperfusion, the formation of hydroxyl radical adducts of the trap was observed, with a maximal value after 3 min. The initial amount of radicals trapped during the first 3 min of reperfusion showed an inverse correlation with the degree of heart function restored within 30 min of reperfusion. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were calculated to be -0.734 for heart rate, -0.825 for left ventricular developed pressure, -0.787 for the maximum of its first derivative, -0.787 for coronary flow, and -0.796 for aortic flow (p less than 0.05, n = 10, in each instance). No statistically significant correlation was found between the cumulative amount of radicals trapped in the effluent during the initial phase...Continue Reading