Restoration of cardiac function following one-day cold perfusion of isolated hearts with butanedione monoxime plus the katp channel opener bimakalim. Stowe, David F., Bernhard M. Graf, Satoshi Fujita, and Garrett J. Gross. Anesthesiology Research Laboratory, Departments of Anesthesiology, Physiology, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Cardiovascular Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, and Research Service, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
APStracts 3:0158H, 1996.
Bimakalim (BIM), an opener of ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channels, was given alone or with butanedione monoxime (BDM), a reversible uncoupler of contractility, to protect myocardial function during one day of hypothermia. Left ventricular pressure (LVP), coronary flow (CF), % O2 extraction (% O2E), and cardiac efficiency (CE) were measured in 96 isolated, perfused guinea pig hearts divided into 7 groups: Cold Control (no drugs); BDM; BIM; BDM+BIM; BDM+glibenclamide (GLB, a blocker of KATP channels); BDM+BIM+GLB; and Time Control (6 hrs warm perfusion only). Drugs were given before, during, and initially after 22 hrs of low CF at 3.8 [acute]iC. At hr 26 (cold groups) or hr 4 (warm group) LVP (mm Hg, mean SEM) was similar for Time Control (94 4) and BDM+BIM (92 4) groups, lower and equivalent in the BDM (65 7) and BDM+BIM+GLB (64 7) groups but higher than in the BIM group (46 3), and lowest in the Cold Control (30 8) group. In addition, only in the BDM+BIM group was basal CF, % O2E, and CE returned to values obtained in the Time Control group. Epinephrine increased LVP to that of the Time Control (106 3) group only in the BDM+BIM group (106 3) after hypothermia, and CF increases with adenosine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and nitroprusside were similar to that of the time control group only in the BDM+BIM group after hypothermia. All of the effects of BIM were reversed by GLB. These results indicate that BIM, given with BDM, effectively preserves myocardial function and metabolism as well as inotropic and vasodilatory reserve during long-term hypothermic preservation as if the one day hypothermic state had not been instituted. Because the beneficial effects of BIM are blocked by GLB, the protective effect of BIM likely results from maintained KATP channel opening. Treatment with exogenous KATP openers may prove useful in preserving cardiac function in the transplanted heart.

Received 23 October 1995; accepted in final form 28 March 1996.
APS Manuscript Number H986-5.
Article publication pending Am. J. Physiol. (Heart Circ. Physiology).
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 1996 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 23 April 96