Cardiac metabolism in experimental ventricular fibrillation.

The cardiac metabolism of the fibrillating left ventricle of the dog heart with and without maintenance of left coronary artery inflow was investigated. During ventricular fibrillation without maintenance of coronary flow, myocardial adenosine triphosphate and glycogen fell progressively, and in vitro oxygen consumption of biopsied tissue initially increased, but with adequate coronary perfusion these elements were maintained. With reinstitution of coronary flow after 30 to 40 minutes of fibrillation without flow, resynthesis of high energy phosphate occurred. The coronary arterycoronary sinus oxygen difference and left ventricular oxygen usage both decreased in the perfused fibrillating heart as compared with the values in the beating heart.