Validity of the microdialysis technique for experimental in vivo studies of myocardial energy metabolism.

OBJECTIVES

The validity of the microdialysis technique for experimental in vivo studies of myocardial energy metabolism is not known. To address this question interstitial levels of energy-related metabolites (lactate, adenosine, inosine and hypoxanthine) obtained by the microdialysis technique were compared with corresponding metabolites from myocardial biopsies at given intervals in a porcine heart model using different protocols of ischaemia and reperfusion.

METHODS

In an open chest porcine heart model, interstitial levels of energy-related metabolites were monitored using the microdialysis technique. All animals (n = 23) were subjected to 120-min pretreatment followed by 40 min of regional ischaemia and 120 min of reperfusion. Tissue biopsies were obtained in the beginning, middle and at the end of the 40-min ischaemic period and at the end of the reperfusion period. Pretreatment consisted of either rest (group 1, n = 7), or rest for 90 min and one ischaemia/reperfusion (10 + 20 min) cycle (group 2, n = 9), or four ischaemia/reperfusion cycles (10 + 20 min each) (group 3, n = 7).

RESULTS

Interstitial levels of energy-related metabolites monitored by the microdialysis technique correlated with tissue biopsy levels of lactate (r = 0.90, P < 0.001), adenosine (r = 0.89, P < 0.001), inosine (r = 0.88, P < 0.001) and hypoxanthine (r = 0.91, P < 0.001), respectively, which were obtained by tissue biopsies at given time intervals. These significant correlations were valid regardless of the functional state of the myocardium.

CONCLUSION

We observed significant correlations between microdialysis probe levels and tissue biopsy levels of energy-related metabolites in both ischaemic and non-ischaemic tissue. These data assess the validity of the microdialysis technique (in the current setting) for studying dynamic changes of myocardial energy metabolism.