ULTRASTRUCTURAL, FUNCTIONAL, AND BIOCHEMICAL CRITERIA FOR ESTIMATION OF REVERSIBILITY OF ISCHEMIC-INJURY - STUDY ON THE EFFECTS OF GLOBAL-ISCHEMIA ON THE ISOLATED DOG HEART

The effects of global ischemia have been studied in the isolated dog heart arrested for various time intervals. Cardiac function has been measured before and after the ischemic interval, and changes in the content of high energy phosphates and ultrastructural alterations were determined throughout the experiment. A close correlation existed between the rate of ultrastructural, functional, and metabolic deterioration at the end of the ischemic period. During the reperfusion phase all three parameters showed the same tendency towards normalization, but the restoration of cardiac function and of high energy phosphate metabolism occurred at a slower rate than the reconstitution of subcellular structures. On the basis of functional data, a standardization of ultrastructural criteria for the severity of reversible ischemic injury and of the point of no return" were obtained. © 1979."