Regional Myocardial function in the conscious dog during acute coronary occlusion and responses to morphine, propranolol, nitroglycerin, and lidocaine.

Abstract
Regional myocardial function following occlusions of the circumflex coronary artery was studied in unanesthetized dogs using minature ultrasonic crystal pairs implanted subendocardially within the left ventricle for measurement of control, marginal, and ischemic lengths. As early as five beats after coronary occlusion, reduced function was apparent in ischemic zones, and an increase in heart rate occurred (78 to 115 beats/min) at an average of 25 sec. In the control zones, shortening initially increased from a constant end-diastolic length, but later end-diastolic length also increased by 7.5%. Shortening in the marginal zones was reduced by 50% at 90 sec as holosystolic expansion developed in the ischemic zones. On reperfusion, systolic function returned to normal within a few minutes while protodiastolic abnormalities persisted for up to 45 min. With coronary occlusions longer than two minutes most dogs exhibited arousal and further tachycardia; this reaction was prevented by morphine. During two minute...