No significant increase in O2 consumption of KCl-arrested dog heart with filling and dobutamine.

In the cross-circulated dog hearts arrested with KCl, we examined the effects of left ventricular volume and dobutamine on the resting oxygen consumption (MVO2). The perfusion pressure of the excised heart was stable under the cross-circulation for 1-1.5 h with a dialyzer to normalize coronary venous KCl despite continuous coronary arterial injection of KCl. The resting MVO2 declined gradually during the first 10 min of cardiac arrest but changed little thereafter. The resting MVO2 at 5 min and 30 min of arrest were 30.5 +/- 9.3 (SD) and 23.8 +/- 12.9%, respectively, of unloaded MVO2 before arrest. The resting MVO2 after its stabilization was 1.02 +/- 0.42 ml O2.min-1.100 g ventricle-1 in the control. It was 1.12 +/- 0.48 ml O2.min-1.100 g ventricle-1 under a continuous infusion of dobutamine at rate of 10-25 micrograms/min. This change with dobutamine was statistically insignificant. The resting MVO2 was not affected by changes in left ventricular volume both before and under dobutamine. The present result implies that MVO2 for basal metabolism in a working dog heart is virtually constant regardless of ventricular volume and contractility.