Tissue water and pH in experimental primary cardiomyopathy induced by isoproterenol in frog

Acute aneurysms and other morphologically defined cardiac lesions were produced in frogs by isoproterenol (IPR) as previously described. Samples from lesions verified in vivo and from macroscopically normal ventricular areas, together with samples from nontreated control animals, were analyzed for total water content, inulin space, pHe, and pHi by using DMO-14C and inulin-3H. Total cardiac tissue water content was increased in all types of lesions after IPR injection. The highest content was found in bulging, noncontractile aneurysms. Inulin space was enlarged in all heart muscle specimens from IPR-treated animals, including those without macroscopically visible lesions. Those specimens with aneurysms showed the greatest degree of enlargement. The (pHe-pHi) did not differ between injected and noninjected animals, and the noncontractile samples from aneurysms did not differ from other lesions and macroscopically intact areas. In IPR-injected animals, there was no difference in pHi between macroscopically damaged and nondamaged segments of ventricle wall. On comparing these animals to controls, however, a slight shift to the alkaline side for both pHi and pHe was observed. The (pHe-pHi) was higher in skeletal muscle than in heart muscle in both IPR-treated and nontreated animals. Tissue water increased in skeletal muscle after IPR injection, reflecting a change of intracellular water as inulin space was maintained.