Display of epicardial ischemia by reduced nicotamide adenine dinucleotide fluorescence photography, electron microscopy, and ST segment mapping

Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) fluorescence photography, a technique of assessing myocardial ischemia, was correlated with ischemia as identified by ST segment mapping and electron microscopy (EM) in 25 Langdneorff perfused rabbit hearts following coronary occlusion. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), a component of the intramitochondrial electron transport chain, becomes reduced during periods of ischemia (NADH). NADH fluoresces when excited by ultraviolet light. NAD does not. All three techniques were compared to assess their resolution of the "border zone" between ischemia and nonischemic myocardium. The border zone defined by NADH fluorescence is 0.1 mm or less. Areas of high NADH fluorescence invariably revealed ST segment elevation, whereas minimally fluorescent areas did not. St segment mapping yields a border zone of approximately 7 mm. Areas of high NADH fluorescence following 1 hour of ischemia displayed severe damage on EM as compared to matched controls. A zone of intermediate ultrastructural damage is identified in a 1 mm biopsy taken between fluorescent and nonfluorescent myocardium. This evidence confirms epicardial NADH fluorescence photography as an assay of myocardial ischemia. This high resolution technique delineates a border zone of narrow dimensions as compared with ST segment mapping.