Energy value of glucose and lactate for the myocardium in patients with mitral stenosis.

In 145 patients with severe mitral stenosis the levels of energy substrates and adenile nucleotides were determined in biopsy samples from the left atrial appendage obtained during mitral commissurotomy. Patients with the latest stage (stage IV according to Bakulev and Damir's classification) of mitral stenosis displayed, in comparison with stage III patients, activation of aerobic oxidation of glucose, lactate and succinate, together with a moderate reduction in myocardial glucose, lactate and pyruvate levels. ATP content and myocardial adenile nucleotide pool did not change with progression of the disease.