Altered lipoxygenase metabolites and leukocyte involvement in an acute occlusion-reperfusion model of canine myocardial infarction.

We compared amounts of lipoxygenase products with the extent of leukocyte infiltration in the ischemic myocardium with an occlusion-reperfusion model of open-chest dog. Changes in peripheral leukocyte count and leukocyte function estimated by neutrophil aggregation induced by calcium ionophore A23187 were also examined. The ischemic tissue (120 +/- 40 ng/g, mean +/- SEM) showed a marked increase in 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE) production compared with the normal tissue (13 +/- 1 ng/g, p less than 0.01). The production of 5-HETE in the ischemic tissue was also augmented as well. When we examined the correlation between production of either 12-HETE or 5-HETE and leukocyte infiltration in the ischemic tissue, the former was augmented markedly in proportion to the extent of the latter. Leukocyte count in peripheral circulation was gradually increased after reperfusion. Similarly, neutrophil aggregation was significantly augmented during reperfusion. These results indicate that production of lipoxygenase metabolites associated with leukocyte infiltration in the reperfused ischemic tissue was increased during the course of myocardial infarction, which was accompanied by activation of leukocyte in peripheral circulation. Further studies should be done to clarify the importance of lipoxygenase metabolites in the evolution of reperfusion-induced myocardial injury.