St Thomas Hospital polarizing cold cardioplegia does not have superior effects on hemodynamic parameters in an infarcted rat model
Authors: Wolner L , Szabo PL , Inci M , Weber L , Kiss A , Podesser BK 
Published: June 2022

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Private company. Main funding source(s): Orphan Drugs

Background

The use of cardioplegic solutions is indispensable during cardiac arrest in order to reduce myocardial metabolism and oxygen demand. Most commonly, hypothermic hyperkalemic cardioplegic solutions are used for open heart surgery. However, high potassium concentrations have several effects that limit left ventricular recovery, such as intracellular calcium overload resulting in the loss of contractility and increased cell death. Recently, we have shown that polarized cardiac arrest results in similar myocardial protection and improves cardiac functional recovery in a porcine model of cardiopulmonary bypass.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to identify and compare the hemodynamic effects of cold St Thomas’ Hospital polarizing cardioplegia (STH-Pol) in contrast to standard St Thomas’ Hospital cardioplegia (STH2) in rats with chronic myocardial infarction. We hypothesize that St Thomas’ Hospital polarizing cardioplegia shows superior protection on left ventricular hemodynamic recovery as compared to standard STH2 cardioplegia.

Methods

Permanent myocardial infarction was induced by permanent occlusion of the left anterior descending artery LAD on Sprague-Dawley rats (593 ± 65g, day of sacrifice). Six weeks post-MI, after echocardiography assessment, the animals were sacrificed, and hemodynamic parameters were measured in an erythrocyte-perfused isolated heart model (STH2, control group: n=5 or STH-Pol, study group: n=4). Fifteen minutes of Langendorff mode and 30 minutes of Working-heart mode were followed by cardiac arrest with the two types cardioplegia (was applied three times every 20 minutes (t1= 0, t2= 20, t3= 40)). STH-Pol, consisting of esmolol, adenosine and magnesium, was mixed with erythrocyte-buffer shortly prior to administration (1:4). After ischemia, the hearts were started with a hot shot with warm erythrocyte-buffer. Hemodynamic parameters were measured every five minutes in Langendorff mode and Working-heart mode. Finally, pump function was examined and tissue samples were taken for analysis of troponin-T and high-energy phosphates. Results will be given as % of preischemic baseline value.

Results

The use of STH-Pol instead of STH2 did not yield any significant differences in hemodynamic recovery (%) across the parameters of left atrial flow (LAF: 40.87 ± 13.22 vs. 53.24 ± 11.27), coronary flow (CF: 58 ± 14.36 vs. 76.21 ± 9) and cardiac output (CO: 42.82 ± 13.36 vs. 51.83 ± 11.76). Furthermore, we have not been able to identify superior effects of STH-Pol on stroke volume (SV: 46.55 ± 13.91 vs. 52.66 ± 11.33) recovery. Moreover, heart rate was comparable in both groups (92.07 ± 2.02 vs. 99.35 ± 1.72), which indicates swift reversal of negative chronotropic effects of esmolol.

Conclusion

Polarizing cardioplegic arrest does not show superior effects on hemodynamic parameters of left ventricular recovery after ischemia in chronically infarcted rat hearts as compared to depolarizing cardioplegic arrest.