Delay of development of transmural irreversible ischaemic injury in canine myocardium.

During the course of experimentally induced myocardial ischaemia affected tissue initially suffers reversible ischaemic injury or, if ischaemia persists, injury of increasing severity before becoming irreversibly damaged. This state is characterized by tissue necrosis and referred to as myocardial infarction. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether it is possible to delay or perhaps even prevent the development of irreversible ischaemic injury. Ischaemia was induced by coronary artery occlusion (CAO) in canine hearts for 90 min or 24 h. The drug used for intervention was hyaluronidase. Ischaemic damage was assessed by p-NBT staining and ultrastructural evaluation of tissue biopsies. Development of irreversible ischaemic damage was prevented during 90 min of CAO. However, progression of reversible to irreversible ischaemic injury could not be prevented during 24 h of CAO. In conclusion, it is possible to prevent the development of irreversible ischaemic injury by a suitable intervention during the early stages of ischaemia in the canine heart and thus to gain time for additional intervention in the early treatment of myocardial infarction.