Summary1. Mannitol hexanitrate (MANHN), iditol hexanitrate and sorbitan tetranitrate, all at 442 ,uM, stimulate oxygen uptake by isolated rabbit atrial tissue. 2. At the same concentration, glyceryl trinitrate decreased oxygen uptake, while isosorbide dinitrate and erythrityl tetranitrate had no effect. 3. No simple correlation was found between the lipoid solubility or per cent nitration of these compounds and their effects on oxygen uptake. 4. The stimulating effect of MANHN and its possible role as an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation is discussed.
IntroductionIn recent years there has been increased emphasis on the direct and indirect myocardial actions of organic nitrates to explain their therapeutic actions in man (Rowe, 1968). While many of the data in animals and man point to the fact that nitrates are capable of reducing myocardial oxygen consumption (Rowe, 1968), the direct cellular mechanism of this effect, if any, is not completely understood. Moreover, little information is available comparing the actions of a variety of organic nitrates on cardiac muscle metabolism.In order to provide further information on the basic actions of organic nitrates on cardiac metabolism, the following problems were studied: (a) the direct effects of various organic nitrates on basal myocardial oxygen uptake (q02); (b) the structure-activity-relations for these agents in terms of their effects on myocardial oxygen consumption.