Effect of changes in ventricular relaxation on early diastolic coronary blood flow in canine hearts.

Since the gradient between aortic pressure and left ventricular diastolic pressure is a major determinant of coronary blood flow, a change in left ventricular relaxation by its effect on early diastole could diminish early diastolic coronary flow. Two interventions that resulted in impaired left ventricular relaxation, hypothermia, and reperfusion following a left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion were studied to evaluate whether there were associated changes in coronary blood flow. With both interventions, there was a significant prolongation of left ventricular relaxation (p less than 0.01) accompanied by a significant decrease in early diastolic coronary blood flow (p less than 0.01). Verapamil did not have a significant effect on these hemodynamic changes during hypothermia. However, verapamil significantly blunted the effects of reperfusion following ischemia on ventricular relaxation (p less than 0.002) and early diastolic coronary blood flow (p less than 0.01). Thus, impaired left ventricular relaxation has an adverse impact on early diastolic coronary blood flow, which, under the condition of reperfusion following regional myocardial ischemia, can be alleviated with calcium channel blockade.