The resistance to coronary blood flow in various parts of the myocardium was studied with the tracer microspheres technique before and immediately after an acute coronary occlusion and several weeks after a more slowly occurring coronary occlusion by Ameroid constrictor. All experiments were carried out in the isolated, metabolically supported, empty, beating dog heart at maximal coronary vasodilation induced with adenosine. Coronary resistance of the normal empty beating heart at maximal coronary vasodilation was 0.20 mm mm Hg/(ml/min) per 100 g of tissue (subepicardium) and 0.16 mm Hg/(ml/min) per 100 g of tissue (subendocardium). After acute coronary occlusion the perfusion of the subtended myocardium was maintained at a much lower level by way of collateral vessels, which showed a resistance to flow of 3.52 mm Hg/(ml/min) per 100 g. If coronary artery occlusion proceeded more slowly the collateral vessels became more functional and myocardial infarction was avoided. During collateral enlargement collateral resistance fell from 3.52 to 0.22 mm Hg/(ml/min) per 100 g within a period of 8 weeks after implantation of the constricting device. The degree of compensation by collaterals for the loss of the occluded native coronary artery was 33% of its former conductance.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1976

Influence of collateral flow on the ischemic tolerance of the heart following acute and subacute coronary occlusion.

Acute occlusion of the circumflex branch of the left coronary artery was produced in chronically instrumented conscious dogs. Tracer microspheres were used to measure during an established time period, the distribution of collateral flow within the infarcting myocardium. For up to 2 hours after coronary occlusion the amount and distribution of the collateral flow remained unchanged. Two to 4 hours after coronary occlusion the subendocardial flow fell to almost zero and the subepicardial flow rose. Between 6 and 48 hours subepicardial and total collateral flow rose markedly. A no-reflow phenomenon is responsible for the decline of collateral flow in the subendocardium. Evidence for this hypothesis was provided by releasing the artery 1,2, 4 and 6 hours after occlusion. The amount of subendocardium that could not be reperfused was small after 1 hour and large after 6 hours of occlusion. When the total collateral flow was very low, the subepicardium was not able to be reperfused and a transmural myocardial infarction developed. We conclude that the time delay between onset of ischemia and the appearance of a no-reflow phenomenon depends upon the amount of collateral flow. The occurrence of a no-reflow phenomenon in the subendocardium increases the amount of flow to the subepicardium which increases its chances of survival. Beyond the sixth hour after occlusion the total amount of collateral flow increases which is interpreted as a reduction of collateral resistance by passive caliber changes of the collateral vessels. DNA-synthesis that signal active caliber changes through cellular proliferation were always detected 24 hours after complete occlusion of a coronary artery regardless whether the time between onset of stenosis until complete occlusion was varied between 36 hours and 5 days. When the time to complete occlusion was 4 days, myocardial infarction was prevented due to growth-transformation of pre-existing collaterals. Four phases of collateral reactions in acute coronary occlusion were observed: redistribution of available collateral flow in favor of the subepicardium (t = 1 to 4 hours after occlusion), 2) increase of total collateral flow due to passive "stretch" of collateral vessels (t = 4 to 24 hours after occlusion), 3) radial growth of collateral vessels due to active cellular proliferation, (t = 24 hours to 5 days) 4) cellular proliferation to ensure a normal wall thickness in growth'transformed collaterals (t = 5 days to 20 days after coronary occlusion). In subacute coronary occlusion the first phase does, of course, not apply.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1975

Influence of perfusion pressure and heart rate on local myocardial flow in the collateralized heart with chronic coronary occlusion.

We studied the influence of controlled changes in perfusion pressure and heart rate on the regional distribution of myocardial flow in normal dogs and in dogs with multiple chronic coronary artery occlusions but without infarctions. Local myocardial blood flow was determined with the tracer microsphere technique. By stepwise altering of systemic blood pressure during maximal vasodilation classical pressure flow relations were obtained. One week after complete chronic occlusion a functionally and anatomically well-defined compartmentation of blood flow was found. The dilatory reserve is clearly compromised not only in the collateral-dependent myocardium but also in the apparently normal myocardium which delivers collateral flow. An "arterio-arterial shunting" mechanism is shown to exist. Several months after coronary occlusion, regional mycoardial flow is still nonhomogeneous. Although the coronary dilatory capacity of the collateralized myocardium is nearly normal, that of the normal myocardium is found to be higher than normal. Vessel growth in both areas is discussed as being responsible for this phenomenon. Right ventricular pacing during maximal vasodilation produces a flow decrease to the endocardial muscle layers in normal dogs, while the epicardial flow is unchanged. One week after complete chronic coronary occlusion pacing during maximal vasocilation reduces the dilatory capacity in the collateralized areas to such an extent that the supplementary increase in myocardial oxygen demand will induce ischemia because of the compromised oxygen supply.

Animals↗

PubMed1975