Effect of therapeutic-dose irradiation on left ventricular function in conscious dogs

Every week, 8 conscious, chronically instrumented dogs underwent left ventricular (LV) function studies before, during, and after cardiac irradiation with cobalt 60 (myocardial dose of 5,000 rads at 200 rads per day through a 5 X 5 cm port). During the weekly LV function studies, left atrial pressures were raised by rapid infusion of balanced saline solution. Heart rate, aortic pressures, left and right atrial pressures, LV pressure, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), and maximum rate of rise of LV pressure were recorded. Electrocardiograms were made. Cardiac outputs were obtained by thermodilution. Stroke volume, LV stroke work, and LV minute work were calculated. LV function curves were constructed each week. All dogs lost weight and became irritable after approximately 800 rads. The electrocardiograms showed signs of myocardial injury after 1,200 rads. All variables were slightly depressed during the first 8 weeks following irradiation. At the eleventh week, both left atrial pressure and LVEDP increased significantly and LV function declined. There was also clinical evidence of LV failure at rest and after volume loading. This study documents that external cardiac irradiation, in a therapeutic dose and schedule range, causes depression of LV function. These functional changes were partially reversed when the follow-up study was continued to six months after irradiation.