AN EVALUATION OF STREPTOKINASE THERAPY IN EARLY CORONARY REPERFUSION IN A PRIMATE MODEL

Efficacy of streptokinase (SK) administered beyond the period of coron ary occlusion with regard to ultimate infarct size and the extent of h emorrhagic infarction was assessed in primates. Eleven macaques underw ent coronary occlusion for two hours and were then reperfused. Five of them were given a 2,000 U IV bolus of SK followed by a 10,000 U IV in fusion over ninety minutes. The remaining 6 served as controls. Macaqu es were sacrificed seven days postocclusion. The left ventricle was se ctioned parallel to the minor axis, and these were examined histologic ally for infarct size and hemorrhage. Multiplying the planimetric valu es by the thickness of the sections yielded the total volumes of left ventricle, infarction, and hemorrhage. The mean percentage of left ven tricle involved in infarction in the treated group was not significant ly different from the controls (14.06 +/- 6.35 versus 16.50 +/- 4.67, P > 0.10). SK-treated animals had a significantly greater volume of in farct involved with hemorrhage as compared with controls (27.1 +/- 10. 8 versus 4.0 +/- 1.4, P < 0.05). SK infusions done concurrently with r eperfusion following a two-hour occlusion did not result in a signific ant reduction or increase in the size of infarct. However, SK infusion s resulted in a significant increase in the amount of hemorrhagic infa rction.