Effects of pyruvate on post-ischemic myocardial recovery at various workloads

In the present study the hemodynamic and metabolic effects of pyruvate (5 mM), added as cosubstrate to glucose (11 mM) perfused, transiently ischemic, isolated working rat hearts, were evaluated. During 2 h of normoxic perfusion pyruvate improved functional stability, prevented depletion of glycogen and triacylglycerol stores, and increased non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels, even at relatively high workloads. The elevated NEFA levels are in line with the notion that pyruvate competes with endogenously produced fatty acids for oxidative energy production. After 45 min of global ischemia pyruvate was found (a) to affect markedly the relative contribution of ATP, ADP and AMP to the total adenine nucleotide content and (b) to stimulate the degradation of glycogen and to enhance the accumulation of lactate, suggesting enhanced anaerobic ATP production. After restoration of flow pyruvate reduced the incidence of fibrillation and markedly improved recovery of cardiac output at both normal and high workload. Pyruvate did neither attenuate the release of lactate dehydrogenase, a marker for cell death, nor improve the conservation of the total adenine nucleotide and ATP content of hearts reperfused for 30 min. The latter findings indicate that hemodynamic recovery during reperfusion in the presence of pyruvate is neither related to the absolute tissue content of ATP nor to a reduction of irreversible cell damage, and suggest that pyruvate exerts its advantageous hemodynamic effects rather by improving the condition of reversibly damaged cells during reperfusion.