Regional myocardial blood flow and necrosis in primates following coronary occlusion

The effects of acute coronary artery occlusion on regional myocardial blood flow distribution in the remote nonischemic zone, the central ischemic zone, and the lateral border zone of the infarct were evaluated in conscious primates. Prior to coronary artery occlusion, blood flow was 1.51 +/- 0.11 in endocardial (Endo) and 1.36 +/- 0.11 ml X min-1g-1 in epicardial (Epi) layers with an Endo-to-Epi ratio of 1.17 +/- 0.05. Regional blood flow in the remote nonischemic zone increased by 28.0 +/- 4.7 and 31.7 +/- 3.6% for Endo and Epi layers, respectively, following coronary occlusion and remained elevated during the subsequent 24 h. At the center of infarct, Endo and Epi blood flows were depressed by 97.9 +/- 0.7 and by 97.9 +/- 0.8%, respectively, at 5 min after coronary occlusion and remained severely depressed throughout the 24-h observation period. Blood flow at the ischemic lateral border of the infarct was severely depressed and similar to the flow at the center of the infarct, whereas the nonischemic lateral border of the infarct had blood flow levels similar to the remote, nonischemic myocardium. Microsphere loss was not a feature of the primate infarct.