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Updated: Aug 15, 2026
Semi-Minimal Invasive Method to Induce Myocardial Infarction in Rats and the Assessment of Cardiac Function by an Isolated Working Heart System
Published on: June 11, 2020
Infusion of the beta-adrenergic blocker esmolol attenuates myocardial dysfunction in septic rats
Takeshi Suzuki1, Hiroshi Morisaki, Ryohei Serita
1Department of Anesthesiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
Objective:
Since beta-blocker therapy is known to be effective in patients with an injured heart, such as infarction, we designed the present study to examine the protective effects of infusion of the beta1-selective blocker esmolol on myocardial function in peritonitis-induced septic rats using an isolated working heart preparation.
Design:
Randomized animal study.
Setting:
University research laboratory.
Subjects:
Thirty-one rats treated with cecal ligation and perforation to evoke peritonitis.
Interventions:
After cecal ligation and perforation, rats were randomly allocated to the control group (normal saline 2 mL/hr, n = 11), low-dose esmolol group (10 mg/kg/hr, n = 10), or high-dose esmolol group (20 mg/kg/hr, n = 10). After obtaining blood samples for measurement of arterial lactate and tumor necrosis factor-alpha at 24 hrs, we assessed cardiac output, myocardial oxygen consumption, and cardiac efficiency (cardiac output x peak systolic pressure/myocardial oxygen consumption) at various preloads in an isolated perfused heart preparation.
Measurements And Main Results:
Esmolol infusion did not cause an elevation of arterial lactate levels but reduced tumor necrosis factor-alpha concentrations vs. the control group (p < .05). Both cardiac output and cardiac efficiency in the esmolol-treated rats were significantly higher throughout the study periods vs. the control group (p < .05).
Conclusions:
Esmolol infusion in sepsis improved oxygen utilization of myocardium and preserved myocardial function.
