Impairment of mitochondrial respiratory activity in the early ischemic myocardium--with special reference to electron transport system.

Impairment of mitochondrial respiration in early myocardial ischemia was studied with special reference to myocellular irreversible injury. The technique used was total ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery, followed by reconstruction of coronary blood flow, in the dog. State 3 respiratory activity reduced significantly to 76% of that of the non-ischemic myocardium in subendocardial muscle (Endo) as early as 30 min after occlusion, and at 60 min to 84% in the subepicardium (Epi). The activity was not recovered by reperfusion. The activity of complex I of sonicated submitochondrial particles decreased at 30 min to 67% in Endo and at 60 min to 71% in Epi, and was not recovered by reperfusion. Complex II and IV activities were kept in the control level until 60 min of ischemia. DNP-stimulated ATPase activity reduced to 79% in Endo at 15 min and to 70% in Epi at 30 min, but recovered significantly by reperfusion until 30 min of ischemia. Mitochondrial respiratory activity was impaired irreversibly in ischemia for 30 min in Endo and this spread to Epi later. Degradation of complex I is considered to be one of the causes of myocardial irreversibility in early ischemia.