Protective role of increased myocardial glycogen stores induced by propranolol

Glycogen is an essential substrate during myocardial anoxia. Since porpranolol may maintain myocardial glycogen levels after acute stress by blockade of catecholamine-induced glycogenolysis, we evaluated the effect of propranolol treatment in the isolated perfused isovolumic paced rat heart. Forty-one rats were studied after 10 min of ice-water immersion: half were pretreated with propranolol, 20 mg/kg/day x3, and half with saline. Glycogen content of unperfused propranolol-treated hearts exceeded controls by 46% (146 +/- 9 vs. 100 +/- 4 mumoles/g dry wt, p less than 0.02), and this difference persisted during aerobic perfusion. Propranolol did not affect adenine nucleotide concentration or left ventricular hemodynamics. Following 5 min of anoxic perfusion, propranolol hearts showed improved ventricular performance concomitant with enhanced glycogenolytic flux and lactate production. Propranolol augmented high energy phosphate production (ATP/AMP = 5.19 +/- 0.42 vs. 3.39 +/- 0.42, p less than 0.02) and increased coronary flow (22.1 +/- 1.6 vs. 16.6 +/- 1.4 ml/min, p less than 0.02) during anoxia. Thus, propranolol supported glycogen stores following acute stresses, enhanced glycogenolytic energy production, increased coronary flow, and improved ventricular function during subsequent anoxia.