Abstract
Summary
KC1 (40 mEq/liter) infused into the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery of anesthetized dogs resulted in reproducible and reversible electrophysiologic evidence of systolic and diastolic injury currents accompanied by shortening of the Q-T interval in appropriate epicardial electrograms recorded by means of direct-coupled amplification. K+ infusion shortened the absolute and functional refractory periods in the experimental area, accompanied by a biphasic change in DT. Regional hyperkalemia produced both the electrocardiographic and electrophysiologic characteristics of acute myocardial ischemia and the results suggested that the altered distribution of extraellular K+ resulting from its release by ischemic myocardial cells could contribute importantly to the complex of “excitatory factors” related to the development of arrhythmias during acute myocardial infarction.
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