Isoflurane causes regional myocardial dysfunction in dogs with critical coronary artery stenoses

The effects of isoflurane-induced hypotension to mean aortic pressures of 70 and 55 mmHg on global and regional right and left ventricular performance (ultrasonic dimension technique) and on coronary hemodynamics (electromagnetic flow probes) were studied in 12 open-chest dogs (anesthetized and paralyzed by continuous infusions of fentanyl and pancuronium) with critical coronary artery stenoses (micrometer-controlled snares) of the right and left anterior descending coronary arteries. The stenoses reduced resting coronary blood flow by approximately 10% without affecting global or regional myocardial performance. During subsequent isoflurane administration, coronary blood flow fell markedly. In the areas supplied by the stenosed coronary arteries, segment length shortening decreased by 70% (P less than 0.01), and regional akinesis, paradoxical motion, or postsystolic shortening developed in 9 of 12 animals. In contrast, in the areas supplied by normal coronary arteries, myocardial segment length shortening decreased significantly less and did not show signs of dysfunction. In these non-ischemic areas at both concentrations of isoflurane, end diastolic and systolic dimensions were greater in the right than in the left ventricle, probably related to differences in right (unchanged) and left (reduced) ventricular afterloads. The data indicate that in the presence of coronary artery stenoses, isoflurane-induced hypotension may cause regional myocardial dysfunction suggestive of ischemia.