The significance of underlying coronary stenosis for recovery of myocardial function after transient ischemia in the dog

The rate of recovery of myocardial function after transient coronary occlusion (CO) has been considered to depend on the duration and frequency of CO. However, underlying coronary stenosis has not been previously demonstrated to be a determinant of the rate of myocardial functional recovery. Thus, 12 open-chest dogs were studied to examine the influence of critical coronary stenosis (CCS) on functional recovery after transient CO. Regional functional recovery following 2-minute CO was examined under two different conditions in eight dogs: patent coronary artery stenosis and fixed CSS that exhausted coronary reserve but did not cause a deficit in resting coronary flow or regional function. Following reperfusion with the coronary artery patent, regional function in the ischemic zone was fully recovered (100 +/- 18.0% of pre-CO value) at 30 seconds and was significantly increased (postischemic hypercontraction) compared to pre-CO value at 1 and at 2 minutes after reperfusion. Following CO and reperfusion in the setting of CCS, regional functional recovery was delayed and regional function remained depressed until 2 minutes after reperfusion. No cumulative effect on functional recovery following repeated 2-minute CO was demonstrated in a control group of four dogs. We conclude that coronary artery patency is a determinant of the rate of myocardial function recovery after a transient ischemic episode, and postischemic hypercontractility was suppressed by the underlying CCS.