The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 25, 526-535, Copyright © 1978 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Topical cardiac hypothermia: the effect of methylprednisolone sodium succinate
HB Barner, JW Standeven, M Jellinek, LJ Menz and JW Hahn
We evaluated the effects of methylprednisolone sodium succinate (MPSS) on
60 minutes of myocardial ischemia during profound (5 degrees C) topical
cardiac hypothermia (ice chips) in a canine right heart bypass preparation.
The ventricular function curve shifted to the right and downward, but not
significantly, after ischemia, and stroke work declined significantly for
both control and treated dogs. Contractility (rate of rise of left
ventricular pressure and maximum velocity of the contractile element)
declined for both groups but not significantly. Total coronary flow, oxygen
consumption, and metabolism of lactate and pyruvate were not different for
control and treated dogs. Ultrastructure of the outer and inner myocardium
did not demonstrate benefit from MPSS. Intracellular and extracellular
edema of moderate severity was slightly worse in the subendocardium, and
reversible mitochondrial injury of a mild to moderate degreee was
symmetrically present. Ice-related injury was not noted. We were unable to
deomonstrate that pretreatment with MPSS favorably alters cardiodynamics or
ultrastructure after 60 minutes of profound topical cardiac hypothermia.