P. Halejcio-delophont et al., Increase in myocardial interstitial adenosine and net lactate production in brain-dead pigs - An in vivo microdialysis study, TRANSPLANT, 66(10), 1998, pp. 1278-1284
Background. Brain death-related cardiovascular dysfunction has been documen
ted; however, its mechanisms remain poorly understood. We investigated chan
ges in myocardial funct;iom and metabolism in brain-dead and control pigs.
Methods. Heart rate, systolic (SAP) and mean (MAP) arterial pressure, left
ventricular (LV) dP/dt(max), rate-pressure product, cardiac output (CO), le
ft anterior descending coronary artery blood flow, lactate metabolism, and
interstitial myocardial purine metabolite concentrations, monitored by card
iac microdialysis, were studied. A volume expansion protocol was performed
at the end of the study.
Results. After brain death, a transient increase in heart rate (from 90 [67
-120] to 158 [120-200] beats/min) (median, with range in. brackets), MAP (8
2 [74-103] to 117 [85-142] mmHg), LV dP/dt(max) (1750 [1100-2100] to 5150 [
4000-62,000] mmHg.sec(-1)), rate-pressure product (9100 [7700-9700] beaks m
mHg/min to 22,750 [20,000-26,000] beats mmHg/min), CO (2.2 [2.0-4.0] to 3.3
[3.0-6.0] L/min), and a limited increase in left anterior descending coron
ary artery blood flow (40 [30-60] to 72 [50-85] ml/min) were observed. Net
myocardial lactate production occurred (27 [4-40] to -22 [-28, -11] mg/L, P
<0.05) and persisted for 2 hr. A 6-7-fold increase in adenosine dialysate c
oncentration was observed after brain death induction (2.9 [1.0-5.8] to 15.
8 [7.0-50.7] mu mol/L), followed by a slow decline. Volume expansion signif
icantly increased MAP, CO, and LV dP/dt(max) in control animals, but decrea
sed LV dP/dt(max) and slightly increased CO in brain-dead animals. A signif
icant increase in adenosine concentration was observed in both groups, with
higher levels (P<0.05) in brain-dead animals.
Conclusions. Brain death increased oxygen demand in the presence of a limit
ed increase in coronary blood flow, resulting in net myocardial lactate pro
duction and increased interstitial adenosine concentration consistent with
an imbalance between myocardial oxygen demand and supply. This may have con
tributed to the early impairment of cardiac function in brain-dead animals
revealed by rapid volume infusion.