Myocardial protection by continuous, blood, antegrade-retrograde cardioplegia in rabbits.

PURPOSE To study the effectiveness of the continuous, blood, antegrade-retrograde cardioplegia in an experimental model of isolated heart, evaluating ventricular function. METHODS Rabbits were divided into four groups: Control--C(n=10); ischemic crystalloid cardioplegia--IC(n=10); ischemic blood cardioplegia--IB(n=10); ischemic non cardioplegia--INC(n=10). After the ischemic protocol period the ventricular function was analyzed by the intra-ventricular balloon technique. RESULTS the intra-ventricular developed pressure (IVDP) was: C(92.90 +/- 6.86mmHg); IC(77.78 +/- 6.15mmHg); IB(93.64 +/- 5.09mmHg); INC(39.46 +/- 8.91mmHg) p< 0.005. The first derivative of intra-ventricular pressure in its positive deflection was: C(1137.50 +/- 92.23mmHg/sec); IC(1130.62 +/- 43.78mmHg/sec); IB(1187.58 +/- 88.38mmHg/sec); INC(620.02 +/- 43.80mmHg/se) p<0.005. The first derivate pressure in its negative deflection was: C(770.00 +/- 73.41mmHg/sec); IC(610.03 +/- 47.43mmg/sec); IB(762.53 +/- 46.02mmHg/sec); INC(412.35 +/- 84.36mmHg/sec) p< 0,005. The stress-strain angular logarithmic coefficient was: C(0.108 +/- 0.02); IC(0.159 +/- 0.038); IB(0.114 +/- 0.016); INC(0.175 +/- 0.038) p< 0.05. CONCLUSION The ischemic group protected by blood cardioplegia showed better ventricular function than ischemic group protected by crystalloid cardioplegia and the non protected group.