Reductions in mitochondrial O 2 consumption and preservation of high-energy phosphate levels after simulated ischemia in chronic hibernating myocardium. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 297: H223-H232, 2009. First published April 24, 2009 doi:10.1152/ajpheart.00992.2008.-We performed the present study to determine whether hibernating myocardium is chronically protected from ischemia. Myocardial tissue was rapidly excised from hibernating left anterior descending coronary regions (systolic wall thickening ϭ 2.8 Ϯ 0.2 vs. 5.4 Ϯ 0.3 mm in remote myocardium), and high-energy phosphates were quantified by HPLC during simulated ischemia in vitro (37°C). At baseline, ATP (20.1 Ϯ 1.0 vs. 26.7 Ϯ 2.1 mol/g dry wt, P Ͻ 0.05), ADP (8.1 Ϯ 0.4 vs. 10.3 Ϯ 0.8 mol/g, P Ͻ 0.05), and total adenine nucleotides (31.2 Ϯ 1.3 vs. 40.1 Ϯ 2.9 mol/g, P Ͻ 0.05) were depressed compared with normal myocardium, whereas total creatine, creatine phosphate, and ATP-to-ADP ratios were unchanged. During simulated ischemia, there was a marked attenuation of ATP depletion (5.6 Ϯ 0.9 vs. 13.7 Ϯ 1.7 mol/g at 20 min in control, P Ͻ 0.05) and mitochondrial respiration [145 Ϯ 13 vs. 187 Ϯ 11 ng atoms O 2 ⅐ mg protein Ϫ1 ⅐ min Ϫ1 in control (state 3), P Ͻ 0.05], whereas lactate accumulation was unaffected. These in vitro changes were accompanied by protection of the hibernating heart from acute stunning during demand-induced ischemia. Thus, despite contractile dysfunction at rest, hibernating myocardium is ischemia tolerant, with reduced mitochondrial respiration and slowing of ATP depletion during simulated ischemia, which may maintain myocyte viability. energy metabolism; mitochondrial respiration; stunned myocardium ALTHOUGH REVERSIBLE MYOCARDIAL dysynergy can arise from a number of specific pathophysiological states, chronic hibernating myocardium is unique, in that it is characterized by regional contractile dysfunction and reduced resting flow in the absence of infarction (4, 18). In chronic hibernating myocardium, regional O 2 consumption is reduced at rest, as well as during increases in myocardial O 2 demand, yet evidence of acute myocardial ischemia is absent (11), which contrasts with findings in short-term hibernating myocardium (45,46). This appears to be partially related to a downregulation in many of the enzymes involved in oxidative metabolism and electron transport (39). Thus this regional dissociation between O 2 consumption and external workload protects the heart during submaximal increases in demand and attenuates apoptosisinduced myocyte loss in the chronic state.Collectively, these findings raise the possibility that hibernating myocardium may be chronically protected against ischemia. In support of this notion, Ausma et al.(1) demonstrated increased tolerance to ischemia in myocytes from hibernating myocardium. Similarly, Milei et al. (34) demonstrated a reduction in ischemia-reperfusion injury during cardiopulmonary bypass in hibernating myocardium compared with segments with normal systolic function. Unfortunately, these previo...