OBJECTIVE: Warm intermittent blood cardioplegia has been shown to prevent the reperfusion damage seen when cold blood cardioplegia is used in patients undergoing coronary revascularization. Little is known on the effects of these two cardioplegic techniques on hypertrophic hearts. The aim of this study was to investigate the comparative effects of cold and warm antegrade blood cardioplegia in patients with aortic stenosis who underwent aortic valve replacement. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The intracellular concentration of substrates (ATP, lactate and amino acids) was measured in left ventricular biopsies taken from 20 patients undergoing aortic valve replacement in whom myocardial protection was achieved by hyperkalaemic intermittent warm (n=10) or cold (n=10) blood cardioplegia. Biopsies were taken 5 minutes after institution of cardiopulmonary bypass (control), after 30 minutes of ischaemic arrest and 20 minutes after reperfusion. RESULTS: There were no significant changes in the intracellular concentration of substrates in the samples collected during the time of ischaemic arrest when compared to control. Upon reperfusion however there was a significant fall in the ATP and amino acids regardless of the cardioplegia technique used. CONCLUSION: The data suggest that both cardioplegia techniques do not confer adequate myocardial protection in hypertrophic hearts.
Heart arrest, induced; Cardioplegic solutions; Aortic valve; Myocardial pathology; Myocardial physiology; Hypothermia, induced
