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Endothelin concentrations in coronary sinus during atrial pacing-induced myocardial ischemia
1Department of Medicine II, 1st Medical Faculty, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
Insights
This study found that endothelin levels in the coronary sinus did not significantly change during induced myocardial ischemia in patients with coronary artery stenosis. Therefore, endothelin may not play a major role in this specific type of ischemia.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Endocrinology
- Ischemic Heart Disease Research
Background:
- Endothelin is a potent vasoconstrictor implicated in cardiovascular diseases.
- Myocardial ischemia can result from coronary vasoconstriction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of endothelin in coronary vasoconstriction during myocardial ischemia.
- To measure plasma endothelin concentrations in patients with coronary artery stenosis.
Main Methods:
- Blood samples were collected from the aorta and coronary sinus in 12 patients.
- Measurements were taken at rest and during atrial pacing-induced myocardial ischemia.
- Plasma endothelin concentrations were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Resting plasma endothelin levels were similar in the aorta and coronary sinus.
- During ischemia, aortic endothelin did not change, and coronary sinus levels increased insignificantly.
- The difference in endothelin levels between the coronary sinus and aorta showed no significant rise during ischemia.
Conclusions:
- Atrial pacing-induced myocardial ischemia in patients with significant coronary artery stenosis was not associated with significant changes in coronary sinus endothelin.
- Endothelin may not be a primary mediator of vasoconstriction in this specific ischemic model.
Abstract:
To investigate the possible role of endothelin in coronary vasoconstriction contributing to the development of myocardial ischemia, plasma endothelin concentrations at rest and during atrial pacing-induced myocardial ischemia have been measured in blood samples drawn from the aorta and coronary sinus in 12 patients with significant narrowing of the left anterior descending coronary artery. The plasma endothelin concentrations at rest were similar in the aorta (AO/R) and coronary sinus (CS/R) (4.8 +/- 2.4 and 4.5 +/- 1.7 pg/ml, respectively), the difference between coronary sinus and aorta plasma endothelin concentration (CS/R-AO/R) being -0.3 +/- 1.7 pg/ml. During atrial pacing-induced myocardial ischemia aortic plasma endothelin concentration (AO/P) did not change (4.6 +/- 2.6 pg/ml) and only an insignificant increase in the plasma endothelin concentration in the coronary sinus (CS/P) was observed (5.3 +/- 2.8 pg/ml). The difference between coronary sinus and aortic endothelin plasma concentration (CS/P-AO/P) was 0.6 +/- 2.5 pg/ml. Finally, the difference in endothelin concentrations between coronary sinus and aorta rose only insignificantly during pacing as compared to the resting values ([CS/P-AO/P]-[CS/R-AP/R] being 0.9 +/- 3.2 pg/ml). Thus, atrial pacing-induced myocardial ischemia in patients with significant left anterior descending coronary artery stenosis was not accompanied by significant changes in coronary sinus plasma endothelin concentrations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)