Direct detection of paramagnetic species in adriamycin perfused rat hearts

Direct detection of paramagnetic species in control and adriamycin-perfused rat hearts has been carried out. Depending on the flow rate of the perfusion solution (8,4,2 and 1 ml/min) different paramagnetic species were observed: Fe(III)(g = 2.12) at 4 ml/min; three types of oxygen centered radicals of which two in control hearts (g = 2.05 g = 2.038 g = g = 2.008) and the third one (g = 2.03 g = 2.005) in adriamycin perfused hearts, at 2 ml/min. The latter radical was the only one observed at perfusion rate of 1 ml/min both in control and adriamycin treated systems. A relationship between the intracellular enzymatic reductive activation of the anthracycline and the occurrence of ischemic conditions (4,2 and 1 ml/min) in myocardial tissues is proposed basing on the relative amounts of the paramagnetic species above mentioned.