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To characterize externally detectable changes in myocardial metabolism of free fatty acids (FFA) and glucose associated with ischemia, isovolumically beating rabbit hearts were perfused under conditions of selected flows with cyclotron-produced, short-lived (t1/2 - 20.4 minutes), 11C-labeled isotopes of glucose and FFA. Tension-time index decreased 83% and lactate production increased from 0.5 +/- 1.9 (SE) to 5.3 +/- 2.1 mumol/min per g of dry weight reflecting myocardial ischemia after flow was reduced from 20 to 5 ml/min. After 30 minutes of low flow the myocardial accumulation of 11C-octanoate, expressed as the extraction fraction, declined from 56 +/- 15% to 30 +/- 3%, reflecting metabolic suppression of FFA extraction during low flow. Effects attributable exclusively to prolonged residence time were excluded. Similar results were obtained with 11C-palmitate. The myocardial avidity for 11C-palmitate was demonstrable by rectilinear whole body scanning in dogs given 5 mCi of the agent intravenously. Diminished 11C-palmitate uptake in zones of myocardium rendered ischemic for 20 minutes prior to reflow in intact dogs was delineated by electrocardiographically gated positron-emission transaxial computer reconstruction tomography. Thus, diminished 11C-FFA extraction, externally detectable, accompanies decreased perfusion in isolated perfused hearts, and decreased 11C-FFA uptake reflecting myocardial ischemia in vivo can be evaluated noninvasively by positron-emission transaxial tomography.
Weiss et al. (Thu,) studied this question.