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. 1991 Mar;102(3):601–606. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1991.tb12219.x

Beneficial effects of N-acetylcysteine and cysteine in stunned myocardium in perfused rat heart.

L D Tang 1, J Z Sun 1, K Wu 1, C P Sun 1, Z M Tang 1
PMCID: PMC1917948  PMID: 1364825

Abstract

1. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of three sulphydryl (SH) compounds, N-acetylcysteine (NAC), cysteine (Cys) and cystamine, on functional recovery and ventricular arrhythmias (VF) in stunned myocardium in the isolated perfused heart of the rat. 2. Hearts (n = 7-8 per group) were perfused by the Langendorff procedure for 20 min to stabilize and then assigned to one of five groups: saline, sham, NAC, Cys and cystamine. After the stabilizing period, the drugs (at 3.6 microM min-1) or their vehicle (saline) were infused into coronary vessels throughout the experimental period. Ten min after administration of drugs, the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was ligatured for 20 min and then untied to reperfuse for 30 min. In the sham group, a ligature was placed around the LAD but not tied. 3. NAC and Cys had a significant effect in attenuating myocardial stunning: the percentage recovery of rate-pressure product measured 30 min after reperfusion as an index of heart function, was improved with the NAC (98.3 +/- 4.5) and Cys groups (104.0 +/- 6.5) compared with the saline (only 73.6 +/- 3.8, P < 0.01) group. Cystamine did not show these beneficial effects. This may be due to the difference in chemical structure between NAC, Cys and cystamine since the latter does not have a free SH group with a disulphide bond formed. This phenomenon suggests that a free SH group is essential for the protective effects of compounds like NAC and Cys in myocardial injury.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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Selected References

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