A new Technique for Measurement of Myocardial O2-Utilization

The coronary reserve of mammalian hearts is significantly heterogeneous. From this phenomenon we conclude on a heterogeneous energy-demand, i.e., ATP-demand and therefore on a nonuniform ischemic tolerance of cardiomyocytes.

Our aim was to establish a method for direct quantification of cardiomyocyte energy production. According to Langendorff, 10 isolated rabbit hearts were perfused with oxygen enriched Krebs-Henseleit solution. Using the stable oxygen isotope ¹⁸O₂, respiratory water of 7 hearts was labelled, and samples were taken from the coronary venous effluent. Defined cardiac tissue areas were lyophylized. Using the guanidine-hydrochloride technique, μl-water samples from the tissue and the coronary venous effluent were quantitatively converted to CO₂. With the help of mass-spectrometry the δ¹⁸O/¹⁶O-isotope ratios were determined and related to the SMOW-scale.

Compared to control hearts, a significant shift to higher SMOW-values within respiratory water from ¹⁸O-labelled hearts was detected (mean = 14.61%). Control hearts (maximal scatter = 1.42%) as well as ¹⁸O-labelled hearts (4.06%) showed high reproducibilit, of the method. With the employed experimental setup, significant regional differences were not detected. The kinetics of the coronary venous effluent showed a tendency toward saturation with H₂ ¹⁸O within 2 min after starting the ¹⁸O₂-perfusion. After 50 s perfusion increase in SMOW-values reached statistical significance.