Study on reperfusion injury on sarcoplasmic reticulum in acute myocardial ischemia

Reperfusion injury in early myocardial ischemia was studied in the dog with special reference to sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and contraction bands. Acute myocardial ischemia (I) was induced by occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) for 10, 20 and 30 min followed by reperfusion for 15 min (R). Ca(++)-ATPase activity of SR in 10-min-R-Group was significantly reduced to 60% of control activity, but activity of 10-min-I-Group remained near the control level in subendomyocardium (Endo). ATPase activity in 30-min-I-Group diminished to 60% of control activity in Endo and it was similar for 30-min-R-Group. In ischemic myocardium, composition of major ATPase protein decreased significantly in 30-min-I-Group and similar reduction was observed in 20-min-R-Group in Endo. In morphology proportion of appearance of contraction bands in Endo was significantly increased in 20-min or longer-R-Groups. These results suggest that reperfusion injury is likely to occur when coronary artery is reflowed after 10 min of ischemia. This may be caused by increased intracellular Ca++ at a very early stage of reperfusion period, and reperfusion injury may be induced due to acceleration in the necrotic process of the membrane system in the myocytes during ischemia.