OLIGOTIDE, A NEW SINGLE-STRANDED OLIGODEOXYRIBONUCLEOTIDE, PRESERVES POSTSYNAPTIC BETA-ADRENERGIC AND CHOLINERGIC RECEPTOR FUNCTIONS IN RABBIT HEARTS AFTER ACUTE INFARCTION

Acute myocardial infarction was induced in New Zealand male albino rab bits. 3 days after surgery, the mortality rate and plasma CPK activity were reduced by 64% and 66% respectively by intravenous infusion of O ligotide (32 mg/kg/h for 6h), a single-stranded oligodeoxyribonucleoti de of mammalian origin. Perfused hearts, obtained from Oligotide-treat ed rabbits 3 days after surgery, showed a strength of contraction in t he range of that of hearts of sham-operated animals and an ameliorated postsynaptic beta-adrenergic and cholinergic receptor function. In ad dition, in these hearts, ''ex vivo'' treatment with Oligotide resulted in almost complete preservation of both adrenergic and cholinergic re sponses to their specific agonists. These data suggest that Oligotide by protecting the hearts from the ischemic damage and possibly by rest ricting left ventricular tissue necrosis may have normalized the biolo gical responses of this organ to isoproterenol and preserved the integ rity of coronary endothelial-dependent relaxant function.