Response of isolated adult canine cardiac myocytes to prolonged hypoxia and reoxygenation

Isolated adult canine ventricular myocytes incubated in the absence of glucose with the respiratory inhibitor rotenone retained 67% of ATP (control, 26.0 +/- 0.9 nmol/mg protein) during 3-h incubation, yet phosphocreatine fell to 23% of initial content. Lactate production proceeded at a constant rate of 5 nmol.mg-1.min-1 in rotenone-treated glucose-free myocytes. A 36% decline in rod-shaped cells and an increase in percent 22Na permeation from 37% in aerobic cells (approximately 13 mM intracellular sodium) to 68% in rotenone-treated glucose-free myocytes paralleled the loss of ATP. Total exchangeable calcium was maintained at control aerobic levels. Exposure of canine cells to 3-h hypoxia in the absence of glucose followed by 5-min reoxygenation resulted in a 73% decrease in ATP, a rise in calcium from 3.3 +/- 0.2 to 6.6 +/- 1.6 nmol/mg, and an increase in 22Na permeation to 111%. Under these conditions the number of rod-shaped myocytes declined by 77%, with corresponding increases in viable contracted and hypercontracted myocytes. The response of canine myocytes to severe hypoxia and reaeration contrasts greatly to earlier studies using adult rat cardiac myocytes see Hohl et al. Am. J. Physiol. 242 (Heart Circ. Physiol. 11): H1022-H1030, 1982. Species differences with respect to basal metabolism, rates of ATP production and degradation, and regulation of cation movements are most likely responsible for the observed differences.