RECOVERY AFTER COLD CARDIOPLEGIC ARREST OF ISOLATED BLOOD-PERFUSED HEARTS EXCISED FROM NON-ANESTHETIZED PIGS

An isolated blood-perfused pig heart model has been established in order to evaluate the recovery of hearts obtained from slaughterhouse domestic pigs avoiding anesthesia and direct experiments on animals. Eleven hearts subjected to 9 min of normothermic ischemia were infused with cold modified Bretschneider solution. After 180 min of cardioplegic-induced global ischemia (including 9 min of normothermic ischemia) 8 hearts were reperfused for 120 min. Left ventricular function (measured isovolumetrically by means of a balloon, and expressed as developed left ventricular pressure, positive and negative dP/dt) was stable during the whole reperfusion period. Lactate production was abolished after 25 min of reperfusion, while there was a small glucose extraction during the whole reperfusion period. Slight deterioration of the mitochondria was found during the induced cardiac arrest, however, reversing during the reperfusion. Thus, due to the stability of left ventricular function, improved metabolism and ultrastructure during the reperfusion period, the model with no use of laboratory animals, and without any influence of anesthesia, seems to be suitable for testing the pure effect on the performance of the left ventricle of drugs and substrates added to the reperfusate during the reperfusion period.