Extracellular potassium activity changes in the canine myocardium after acute coronary occlusion and the influence of beta-blockade.

Extracellular potassium activity before and after coronary occlusion was measured in the canine heart by means of potassium-selective surface electrodes. In the ischaemic myocardium potassium activity rapidly increased from a preocclusion value of 3.2 +/- 0.3 mmol.litre-1 to 10 +/- 0.6 mmol.litre-1 within the first 5 min and to about 11.3 +/- 0.5 mmol.litre-1 after 10 min of ischaemia (range from 9.5 to 14.5 mmol.litre-1). Following the initial 10 min of ischaemia no further increase was measured. In the non-ischaemic area potassium activity remained constant. Acute beta-blockade significantly attenuated the initial rate of increase in potassium activity; however, beta-blockade did not influence maximal values of extracellular potassium activity measured after occlusion. Lowering of heart rate by vagal stimulation did not modify the pattern of increase in potassium during acute ischaemia. Following ventricular fibrillation, a slow but continuous rise in potassium activity was found. These results demonstrate that extracellular potassium activity in the acutely ischaemic myocardium is considerably higher than indicated by the technique of coronary vein sampling and is in the range necessary for the development of re-entrant arrhythmias in the early phase after coronary occlusion.