Distribution of myocardial injury and its relation to epicardial ST-segment changes after coronary artery occlusion in the dog

Abstract

ST-segment changes in multiple epicardial recordings were evaluated 15 minutes after coronary occlusion in the dog and correlated with subendocardial and subepicardial cell death in corresponding sites, assessed by creatine phosphokinase depletion 24 hr later. ST-elevation was quantitatively related to subepicardial cell death; ST-depression in recordings from adjacent areas on the anterior surface of the heart was not associated with subendocardial or subepicardial necrosis; and cellular injury reflected by enzyme depletion was more pronounced in subendocardial compared with subepicardial portions of both peripheral and central areas of infarcts.