Perfusion-contraction mismatch with coronary microvascular obstruction: role of inflammation

1 Abteilungen für Pathophysiologie, 2 Hämatologie, und 3 Kardiologie, Zentrum für Innere Medizin des Universitätsklinikums, 45122 Essen, Germany A close relationship exists between regional myocardial blood flow (RMBF) and function during acute coronary inflow restriction (perfusion-contraction matching). However, the relationship of flow and function during coronary microvascular obstruction is unknown. In 12 anesthetized dogs, the left circumflex coronary artery was perfused from an extracorporeal circuit. After control measurements, 3,000 microspheres (42 µm diameter) per milliliter per minute inflow were injected to cause a microembolism (ME, n = 6). With unchanged systemic hemodynamics and RMBF, posterior systolic wall thickening (PWT) decreased from 19.8 ± 1.9% SD at control to 13.3 ± 4.0, 10.3 ± 3.8, and 6.9 ± 4.7% ( P