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Prevention of ischemia‐induced cardiac Sudden death by n−3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in dogs
Author(s) -
Billman George E.,
Kang Jing X.,
Leaf Alexander
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
lipids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.601
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1558-9307
pISSN - 0024-4201
DOI - 10.1007/s11745-997-0149-2
Subject(s) - medicine , ventricular fibrillation , cardiology , polyunsaturated fatty acid , ischemia , anesthesia , heart rate , blood pressure , fatty acid , chemistry , organic chemistry
Abstract The objective of this study was to obtain functional information associated with the prevention by n−3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) of ischemia‐induced fatal cardiac ventricular arrhythmias in the intact, conscious, exercising dog. Thirteen dogs suceptible to ischemia‐induced ventricular fibrillation were prepared surgically by ligation of their anterior descending left coronary artery and placement of an inflatable cuff around their left circumflex artery. After 4 wk of recovery, exercise‐plus‐ischemia tests were performed without and then with an intravenous infusion of an emulsion of free n−3 PUFA just prior to occluding the left circumflex artery while the animals were running on a treadmill. One week later the exercise‐plus‐ischemia test was repeated but with a control infusion replacing the emulsion of n−3 PUFA. The infusion of the free n−3 PUFA in quantities of 1.0 to 10 g prevented ventricular fibrillation in 10 of the 13 dogs tested ( P <0.005), apparently without esterification of the PUFA into membrane phospholipids. The antiarrhythmic effect of the n−3 PUFA was associated with slowing of the heart rate, shortening of the QT‐interval (electrical action potential duration), reduction of left ventricular systolic pressure, and prolongation of the electrocardiographic atrial‐ventricular conduction time (P‐R interval). These effects are comparable with those we have reported in studies with cultured neonatal rat cardiac myocytes.