Effect of perfusion pressure at reoxygenation on reflow and function in isolated rat hearts

The effect of coronary perfusion pressure during reoxygenation on recovery of endocardial flow, arrhythmogenesis, and mechanical function was investigated in the isolated rat heart. Hearts were subjected to 30 min of substrate-free hypoxia followed by 30 min reoxygenation at either 80 or 150 cmH2O perfusion pressure. No flow areas were quantified by 0.3% phthalocyanine blue injection after 30 min of hypoxia, 30 min reoxygenation at 80 cmH2O, or 30 min reoxygenation at 150 cmH2O. After hypoxia, 31 +/- 2% of the myocardium was unperfused. After 80 cmH2O reoxygenation, 13 +/- 4% of the heart remained unperfused. Ten of 12 (83%) 80-cmH2O hearts were in sustained fibrillation after 10 min of reoxygenation. Reoxygenation at 150 cmH2O resulted in complete reperfusion of the myocardium. Fibrillation was absent in all hearts reoxygenated at this higher pressure. Functional recovery after 30 min reoxygenation (% of normoxic heart rate x left ventricular developed pressure) was significantly (P less than 0.05) higher in 150 cmH2O vs. 80 cmH2O (60 +/- 5 vs. 42 +/- 8%). Elevating perfusion pressure upon reoxygenation appears to counter the vascular compression caused by contracture and leads to a more rapid and homogeneous restoration of coronary flow during the transition from the hypoxic to the normoxic state.