Spatial heterogeneity of myocardial blood flow presages salvage versus necrosis with coronary artery reperfusion in conscious baboons.

BACKGROUND

Myocardial blood flow distribution is known to be heterogeneous. It is also known that not all of the area at risk (AAR) infarcts with coronary artery occlusion (CAO) and coronary artery reperfusion (CAR). The goal of the present study was to determine whether the proportion of AAR that is salvaged or infarcted can be predicted by the pre-CAO level of myocardial blood flow, which varies considerably in individual samples as a result of natural heterogeneity.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The effects of 90-minute CAO followed by 5- to 7-day CAR were examined in six conscious baboons instrumented with aortic and left atrial catheters and coronary artery occluders. AAR was determined by dual perfusion. Myocardial blood flow was measured by radioactive microspheres before and after CAO and CAR. The AAR was cut into small pieces (0.21 +/- 0.01 g) and separated into two categories; salvaged (n = 252) or infarcted (n = 133). Analysis of myocardial blood flow distribution revealed two distinct populations (P < .01); infarcted tissues demonstrated higher pre-CAO myocardial blood flow than salvaged tissues. Importantly, 50% of the salvaged tissue samples were characterized by pre-CAO myocardial blood flows of < 0.90 mL.min-1.g-1 compared with 29% for infarcted samples, whereas 51% of infarcted samples were characterized by pre-CAO myocardial blood flows of > 1.12 mL.min-1.g-1 compared with 22% of salvaged samples. Endocardial analyses were qualitatively similar to transmural analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that heterogeneity of pre-CAO myocardial blood flows can predict the proportion of myocardium salvaged by CAR and can further explain the spatial heterogeneity of infarction that occurs after CAR, potentially independent of CAR injury.