[The important of lysosomes in myocardial damages, particularly in cases of ischemia (author's transl)].

Secondary lysosomes, such as lipofuscin, are found in considerable numbers in myocardial cells not only with growing age but at any stage of life after intoxications or as a result of congenital heart defects. In addition, lysosomal enzymes are also localized at the membranes of the sarcoplasmic reticulum and at the Golgi vesicles. During ischemia, these enzymes are being detached from the membranes. This, however, happens at a time when the cell has already been damaged irreversibly. Until now, no outflow of lysosomal enzymes from these cells with a following damage of so far unchanged cells has been observed and seems unlikely to happen in view of present-day research results. The primary event and the decisive factor of an ischemic myocardial damage are the ATP reduction which starts within several minutes and the mitochondrial changes connected with it which induce among other things the structural and functional membrane changes, too.