Verapamil preserves myocardial performance and energy metabolism in left ventricular hypertrophy following ischemia and reperfusion. Phosphorus 31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.

While calcium entry blockers have a beneficial influence on the postischemic recovery of the nonhypertrophied heart, their influence on the hypertrophied heart has not been determined. The aim of this study was to assess postischemic recovery of myocardial performance and energy metabolites in rat hearts with left ventricular hypertrophy pretreated either chronically or acutely with verapamil. Left ventricular hypertrophy was induced by suprarenal constriction of the abdominal aorta. Hemodynamics and phosphorus 31 magnetic resonance spectra were monitored simultaneously in the isolated hearts during control perfusion, after 30 minutes of global ischemia, and after 30 minutes of reperfusion. All hypertrophied hearts had significantly higher rate-pressure products than normal hearts. Compared with normal hearts, oxygen consumption was significantly lower in all hypertrophied hearts, especially untreated hypertrophied hearts. Also, before ischemia all normal or hypertrophied hearts (treated or untreated) began with comparable phosphorylation potentials (i.e., the supply of energy was not significantly different). Postischemic recovery was not related to energy supply-oxygen demand before onset of ischemia. Furthermore, it was not related to energy levels or intracellular pH during ischemia. For postischemic recovery, the rate-pressure product was 40 +/- 5% in the hypertrophied heart, 83 +/- 5% in the normal, 100 +/- 3% in the hypertrophied heart chronically treated with verapamil, and 82 +/- 5% in the hypertrophied heart acutely treated with verapamil. The degree of recovery was related to coronary flow both before and after ischemia. The latter is important for flushing deleterious metabolites and ions from the interstitial space as well as for delivery of oxygen and substrate to the myocardium.