Acute hypercalcemia and cardiac autotransplantation in dogs: long-term hemodynamic adaptability

Cardiac autotransplantation (excision and reimplantation) is a unique model that isolates totally the cardiac afferent and efferent neural pathways and results in hemodynamic misadaptability to many provocative tests. Since the cardiovascular response to acute hypercalcemia is modulated by numerous factors among which the autonomic innervation plays a major role, the hemodynamic response to bolus administration of calcium gluconate was compared in normal and cardiac autotransplanted dogs. Twenty-two animals underwent an autotransplantation while a sham procedure was performed in 18 animals. Each dog was equipped with an electromagnetic flow probe positioned around the ascending aorta and with central venous and aortic catheters. Hemodynamic data were collected daily during 1 month, before and during rapid intravenous administration of calcium gluconate (0.90 mEq). Baseline hemodynamic studies indicate that for both groups myocardial failure is evident in the immediate postoperative period; despite progressive recovery, the autotransplants always show lower cardiovascular performance. Calcium administration elicits transient positive inotropism, which is more important in presence of myocardial failure; this is true for both control and autotransplanted dogs. In the early postoperative period, hemodynamic adaptability to this stress is impaired in the autotransplants. However, long-term results indicate that minimal differences subsist over time in response to calcium administration, and when they are observed, they result from interferences in baroreceptor regulation and reflexes.