Stimulation of Interarterial Coronary Anastomoses by Experimental Acute Coronary Occlusion

"Hence it sometimes happens that, when the lumen of some artery has been too long obstructed or ligated, the blood busies itself in opening a wider channel for its passage in this vessel, must drive and buffet all the more into the next ones, until it has considerably dilated them to give itself room." The development of interarterial coronary anastomoses may exert a profound influence on the clinical course of angina pectoris, coronary failure, and acute myocardial infarction. Earlier studies have shown that marked narrowing of a coronary artery produces rich intercoronary anastomotic communications. The present study is designed to determine whether acute occlusion of a coronary artery in a previously normal heart also leads to the development of a collateral circulation and what length of time is necessary to establish such a collateral circulation.