Myocardial preservation in acute coronary artery occlusion with coronary sinus retroperfusion and carnitine

Background. Effectiveness of retrograde coronary sinus perfusion with the u se of carnitine supplementation over the severity of ischemia/reperfusion i njury, in acute coronary occlusion, Methods. Eighteen mongrel dogs, divided equally into control, retrograde pe rfusion (retroperfusion) and carnitine retroperfusion (retrocarnitine) grou ps. After taking the basal values, the left anterior descending artery was occluded. At the fifteenth minute, without ending the occlusion, retrograde coronary sinus cardioplegia in the retroinfusion group and in the carnitin e group, 0.15 mmol/kg of L-carnitine retroperfusion was performed. Then, he modynamic and biochemical measurements were taken till the end of 120 minut es. The control group had no retroperfusion or medical therapy. Results, Between the three groups, there was a statistically significant di fference in cardiac index, mean arterial pressure, mean pulmonary artery pr essure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, right atrial pressure as hemody namic parameters and myocardial oxygen extraction, myocardial lactate extra ction, protein thiols and Malonyl dialdehyde (MBA) as biochemical parameter s, at different time intervals (p<0.05). Conclusion. Coronary sinus retroperfusion with carnitine is found to be ver y effective in reducing oxygen free radical release and however this advant age did not switch to the hemodynamic function between the retrograde coron ary sinus infusion group and retroinfusion carnitine group. In our opinion retrograde coronary sinus perfusion with the use of carnitine supplementati on reduces the severity of ischemia/reperfusion injury.