Three lines of investigation indicated that hydrogen peroxide (H202) from xanthine oxidase (XO) contributes to cardiac dysfunction during reperfusion after ischemia. First, addition of dimethylthiourea (DMTU), a highly permeant 02 metabolite scavenger (but not urea) simultaneously with reperfusion improved recovery of ventricular function as assessed by ventricular developed pressure (DP), contractility (+dP/dt), and relaxation rate (-dP/dt) in isolated Krebs-Henseleit-perfused rat hearts subjected to global normothermic ischemia. Second, hearts from rats fed tungsten or treated with allopurinol had negligible XO activities (< 0.5 mU/g wet myocardium compared with > 6.0 mU/g in control hearts) and increased ventricular function after ischemia and reperfusion. Third, myocardial H202-dependent inactivation of catalase occurred after reperfusion following ischemia, but not after ischemia without reperfusion or perfusion without ischemia. In contrast, myocardial catalase did not decrease during reperfusion of ischemic hearts treated with DMTU, tungsten, or allopurinol.

No abstract

In an isolated, normothermic rat heart model (Langendorff, 37 degrees C), dimethylthiourea (DMTU) infusion only during reperfusion reduced both injury and measurable hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentrations after global ischemia. Cardiac function was assessed by measurement of ventricular developed pressure (DP). H2O2 was assessed using H2O2 dependent aminotriazole inactivation of myocardial catalase. Depletion of xanthine oxidase by two methods (tungsten or allopurinol inhibition) also improved recovery of function and H2O2 production. The results indicate that XO derived H2O2 contributes to myocardial reperfusion injury.