The distribution of ischaemia in perfused Wistar rat hearts following coronary artery occlusion.

Ischaemia induced in Wistar rat hearts by ligation of the main coronary arteries, was studied by NADH-fluorescence photography. The coronary anatomy was examined by barium angiography and intravascular resin infusion and it was confirmed that the main arteries were the left and right coronaries and the septal artery. The septal artery branched from the right coronary orifice in 90% of hearts examined. The long-axial cross-sectional view of the heart showed the ischaemic area to be limited to the left ventricular free wall following ligation of the left coronary, to the right ventricular free wall following ligation of the right coronary artery and to the ventricular septum after ligation of the septal artery. When the left coronary artery was ligated at its origin, the ratio of ischaemic area to cross-sectional area increased from the base to the apex of the heart. The borders of the epicardial ischaemic area induced by left and right coronary ligation made contact without any overlapping or broad separation. This indicates that the area perfused by the left and right coronary arteries was contiguous but physically separated.