Improved contractile function in the reperfused rat heart by the radical scavenger 2-[3-aminopropylamino] ethane...

The action of the radioprotector WR 10 65 on regional function of the left ventricular muscle in ischemic injured and reperfused rat heart was investigated employing a new fiber optic based method for determination of segment shortening. In anesthetized rats exposed to regional myocardial ischemia by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 60 minutes followed by 60 minutes of reperfusion WR 10 65 applicated in a dosage of 1 mM/kg body weight intraperitoneally 30 minutes prior to ischemia induced an improvement of post ischemic recovery of segment shortening from 31% of pre-ischemic values in untreated animals to 64.6%. Because only moderate alterations in global functional parameters compared to control group were found in WR 10 65 treated animals, it is presumed that the observed influence on regional myocardial function is less due to changes in cardiac load than to the radical scavenger activity of the tested agent. A possible contribution of hypoxic and hypocalcemic activity of the substance remains to elucidate.