Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 20, 2026

Surgical Swine Model of Chronic Cardiac Ischemia Treated by Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery
Published on: March 27, 2018
Myocardial hibernation: a delicate balance
Gerd Heusch1, Rainer Schulz, Shahbudin H Rahimtoola
1Institut für Pathophysiologie, Zentrum für Innere Medizin, Universitätsklinikum Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122 Essen, Germany. gerd.heusch@uni-essen.de
Abstract:
The pathophysiology of myocardial hibernation is characterized as a situation of reduced regional contractile function distal to a coronary artery stenosis that recovers after removal of the coronary stenosis. A subacute "downregulation" of contractile function in response to reduced regional myocardial blood flow exists, which normalizes regional energy and substrate metabolism but does not persist for more than 12-24 h. Chronic hibernation develops in response to one or more episodes of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion, possibly progressing from repetitive stunning with normal blood flow to hibernation with reduced blood flow. An upregulation of a protective gene program is seen in hibernating myocardium, putting it into the context of preconditioning. The morphology of hibernating myocardium is characterized by both adaptive and degenerative features.
Related Concept Videos
Imbalances in Cardiac Output
CHF can occur due to the failure of either side of the heart. Left-side failure leads to pulmonary congestion—the right side continues to send blood...
Cardiomyopathy III: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy IV: Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
Mechanism of Cardiac Arrhythmias
Cardiomyopathy V: Interprofessional Care
Electrophysiology of Normal Cardiac Rhythm

