Nitroglycerin is generally believed to be contraindicated during acute myocardial infarction because the resultant decrease in coronary perfusion pressure and reflex tachycardia might extend the area of ischemia. To determine the effects of nitroglycerin and alterations in arterial pressure on the degree of myocardial ischemia, the left anterior descending coronary artery was occluded for repea...

BACKGROUND We hypothesized that nitroglycerin improves O2 delivery to ischemic tissue by altering erythrocyte rheology and O2 unloading through an increase in bioactive nitric oxide (NO) content. METHODS AND RESULTS Twelve dogs with resting flow-reducing single-vessel stenosis were studied at rest and during intracoronary infusion of nitroglycerin (0.3 to 0.6 microg.kg(-1).min(-1)). Half the ...

We studied the effect of nitroglycerin-induced decreases in mean arterial pressure (MAP) on myocardial salvage. Two hours after occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery, 65 conscious dogs were randomly allocated to receive 4 hr intravenous infusions of saline (group 1, 19 dogs), or nitroglycerin in doses to decrease MAP by 10% (group 2, 18 dogs), 25% (group 3, 14 dogs), and 50%...

Background. The present study was designed to investigate the intracellular production of cyclic GMP (cGMP) in platelets in response to nitroglycerin and to determine the potential clinical value of platelet cGMP as an indicator of the effects of nitroglycerin and nitrate tolerance. Methods and Results. Platelet cGMP levels and the diameters of the coronary arteries before and 2 minutes after i...

Background. The present study was designed to investigate the intracellular production of cyclic GMP (cGMP) in platelets in response to nitroglycerin and to determine the potential clinical value of platelet cGMP as an indicator of the effects of nitroglycerin and nitrate tolerance. Methods and Results. Platelet cGMP levels and the diameters of the coronary arteries before and 2 minutes after i...

Seven episodes of simultaneous severe systemic arterial hypotension and absolute or relative bradycardia were observed in five patients receiving either sublingual nitroglycerin (two patients) or intravenous nitroglycerin (three patients) within the first 24 hours of onset of symptoms of acute myocardial infarction. Left ventricular filling pressure, measured as pulmonary artery diastolic press...

Fourteen patients with acute myocardial infarction were given 0.3 mg sublingual nitroglycerin within the first 12 hours of their acute myocardial infarction. Five minutes after sublingual nitroglycerin mean arterial pressure fell 9 mmHg (1.2 kPa) and remained significantly reduced for 30 minutes. Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure fell from a mean control value of 17 to 12 mmHg (2.3 to 1.6 kPa)...