Effects of pharmacological intervention on infarct size following induced myocardial infarction in rats.

Several therapeutic agents that alter infarct size were administered to rats with myocardial infarcts induced by electrocauterization. The myocardial tissue damage and infarct size correlated well with the creatine phosphokinase myocardial band activity, and these markers were utilized to assess the action of the therapeutic agents on myocardial tissue damage. Hyaluronidase, insulin, potassium chloride, and isoproterenol increased myocardial tissue damage whereas heparin and prednisolone administration resulted in decreased myocardial tissue damage after induced myocardial infarction in rats.