Recirculating, retrograde heart perfusion according to Langendorff as a tool in the evaluation of drug-induced cardiomyopathy: effects of a high lipid diet.

A recirculating, retrograde heart perfusion according to Langendorff is described as a method for the evaluation of cardiomyopathy as an untoward side effect of a high lipid diet (addition of 10% and 25% corn oil to rat maintenance feed) in female rats. The use of glucose (5 mM) or palmitate (0.5 mM/0.1 mM BSA) as substrates during a 2-h perfusion period, and their effects on heart metabolism of control-, LL- and HL-diet fed animals were evaluated. Substrate uptake, LDH release and adenine nucleotides, creatine phosphate, creatine, lactate, pyruvate, glucose-6-phosphate, glycogen, triglyceride and phospholipid content were determined in heart tissue.