The consequences of simulated ischaemia on intracellular Ca2+ and tension in isolated ferret ventricular muscle.

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Abstract
In order to study cellular events occurring in ischaemia, we have developed a method for simulating ischaemia in an isolated papillary muscle. Muscles were suspended in a chamber and changed from conventional superfusion with Tyrode solution to gas perfusion with 95% N2/5% CO2 (N2 gas perfusion), thus simultaneously stopping oxygenation and flow. Surface cells of the preparation were injected with the photoprotein aequorin in order to monitor intracellular free calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i). We conclude that many of the effects of ischaemia may be attributable to an intracellular acidosis caused by lactic acid accumulation. The increased [Ca2+]i that this causes may be involved in some of the arrhythmias seen during the early phase of ischaemia.