Summary
In open-chest dogs, the left anterior descending coronary artery was ligated for 150 min. The heart was semiserially cut on a cryomicrotome and areas of ischemic damage were visualized by means of glycogen depletion (PAS reaction) and tissue acidosis (a “sandwich” technique with pH indicator dispersed in a layer of gel). The extent of myocardial damage was determined morphometrically.
The mass of the glycogen-depleted heart muscle was greater than the mass of the ischemic tissue detected by means of decreased pH (p<0.01). The border zone was characterized by glycogen depletion without acidosis.
Circulation studies using intravital fluorescein staining have shown that perfusion is partially retained in the border zone; it is assumed that the hypoperfusion triggers glycogenolysis. Nevertheless, the level of perfusion suffices to wash out the acidic end products.
Comparison of contrapulsation-treated dogs and untreated dogs shows that the amount of damaged tissue comprising the border zone can be reduced by this therapeutic intervention (p<0.02)—in contrast to the acidotic tissue, the amount of which is not significantly influenced. Therefore the border zone contains damaged but still viable muscle cells.
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Sládek, T., Filkuka, J., Doležel, S. et al. The border zone of the early myocardial infarction in dogs; its characteristics and viability. Basic Res Cardiol 79, 344–349 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01908035
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01908035