Myocardial lipid peroxidation during isoproterenol-induced blood flow reduction in rat myocardium

The injection of 50 mg/kg isoproterenol into rats induced a temporary initial myocardial ischemia characterized by myocardial blood flow decrease, anaerobic glycolysis, hypoxia, and energy depression. Simultaneously, the free fatty acid content increased, the content of free arachidonic acid, conjugated dienes, and lipid soluble fluorescence was reduced in the myocardium. The initial alterations could not be affected by alpha-tocopherol pretreatment. The application of acetylsalicylic acid prevented the fluorescence loss and diminished thiobarbituric acid reactivity. Under the used experimental conditions an intensified nonenzymatic lipid peroxidation cannot be demonstrated in the isoproterenol-induced acute ischemic myocardium. The assumption of a pathogenic role of myocardial free fatty acid accumulation is supported.