Cell swelling, sodium fluxes, membrane permeability and high energy phosphates in isolated rat hearts during hypothermic ischemia - multinuclear nmr studies. Askenasy, Nadir, Antonio Vivi, Maria Tassini, and Gil Navon. School of Chemistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
APStracts 2:0201H, 1995.
Intracellular sodium accumulation, cellular swelling and energy deficiency are ischemia-associated processes which participate in the transition to an irreversible ischemic injury. This study aims to determine the relationship between these parameters in intact rat hearts, during global ischemia at 4oC. High energy phosphates were determined by 31P NMR, intracellular sodium accumulation was measured by 23Na spectroscopy with the shift reagent Dy(TTHA)3-, and cell volumes were measured by 59Co and 1H spectroscopy using the extracellular marker Co(CN)63-. Intracellular sodium flux was composed of three rates: 1.53 SYMBOL 177 \f "Symbol" 0.17, 0.17 SYMBOL 177 \f "Symbol" 0.05 and 0.30 SYMBOL 177 \f "Symbol" 0.06 mol/gdw during the periods 0-1.5, 2-7 and 9-12 hours, respectively. Sodium influx resulted in accumulation of the ion: 10% after 4 hours, 16% after 10 hours and 29% after 12 hours. Water followed sodium into the cells at two constant molar ratios: Na/H2O=3.80 SYMBOL 177 \f "Symbol" 0.15 SYMBOL 180 \f "Symbol" 10-3 during the first 8 hours of ischemia and Na/H2O=7.8 10 during the period 8-12 hours. Relative to the initial intracellular volume, cells swelled by 38% after 8 hours and 46% after 12 hours; reperfusion reduced cellular swelling to 25% and 36%, respectively. The last 4 hours of storage were characterized by: a) absence of high energy phosphates; b) increased Na influx rate and sodium accumulation; c) increased Na/H2O portion indicating an enhanced efflux of intracellular components; d) preserved membrane selectivity for the extracellular markers Dy(TTHA)3- and Co(CN)3-; e) deterioration of the haemodynamic function: LVP 75% and 40%, initiation of activity 8 min and 26 min for 8 or 12 hours of ischemia, respectively. These data indicate that changes in the membrane selectivity and permeability occur during hypothermic ischemia, and are associated in time with depletion of the energy stores and causing deterioration of the functional recovery. It is suggested that these changes in permeability signal the onset of a gradual deterioration in membrane integrity.

Received 29 September 1994; accepted in final form 3 April 1995.
APS Manuscript Number H883-4.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Heart Circ. Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1995 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 26 May 1995.