Figure 1.

Chronic exposure to ethanol improves recovery of LV-developed pressure during postischemic reperfusion via adenosine A₁ receptors. LV-developed pressure was measured during reperfusion after global ischemia in four groups of isolated guinea pig hearts (n = 10 for each group) following 6 weeks of 10% ethanol consumption (○), in age-matched controls (▵), following 6 weeks of ethanol consumption in the presence of the adenosine A₁ receptor antagonist (DPCPX) (•), and in age-matched controls in the presence of DPCPX (▪). Recovery of LV-developed pressure is significantly greater in hearts from ethanol-treated guinea pigs at each time point measured (P < 0.05). Adenosine A₁ receptor blockade completely abolished ethanol-induced cardioprotection. Data are mean ± SEM. Error bars are not included for open triangles but are less then SEM of closed symbols.