In patients with acute myocardial infarction, death normally results from rhythmic disturbances or pump failure. Over the past 3 decades, the mortality rate from this disease has been substantially reduced predominantly by vigorous treatment of dysrhythmias using modern monitoring techniques. These achievements are in contrast with the mortality rate from mechanical failure (manifested by cardiogenic shock, pulmonary edema or chronic heart failure) which has not been reduced in the same period (109). Pump failure in patients with acute myocardial infarction is known to be closely correlated with the extent of tissue necrosis (110). Therefore, any therapeutic strategy which enables a decrease of myocardial necrosis can be expected to be extremely useful. Not only, immediate cardiogenic shock but also chronic heart failure ca:ri be treated with more success if patients prevail a greater quantity of viable myocardium. In addition, prevention of ischemia-induced myocardial injury during heart surgery and heart transplantation is of fundamental importance for ultimate success. Because of these considerations, experiments were designed (this thesis) in isolated rat hearts to seek for ischemic protection. Since current knowledge strongly suggests oxygen free radical involvement in post-ischemic cardiac injury, attention was focussed on the involvement of these radicals in the pathogenesis of myocardial infarction.

, ,
Erasmus University Rotterdam
J.F. Koster (Johan)
hdl.handle.net/1765/50920
Erasmus MC: University Medical Center Rotterdam

van der Kraaij, A. (1989, November 22). Oxygen free radicals in myocardial ischemia and reperfusion. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1765/50920