Effects of glucose, insulin and potassium infusion on tissue metabolic changes within first hour of myocardial infarction in the baboon.

The effects of infusions of glucose, insulin and potassium (GIK) on the heart tissue metabolic changes found in adult baboons 60 min after coronary artery ligation were studied. Biopsies taken from 11 baboons without coronary artery ligation gave control values. A second group of 46 baboons had coronary artery ligation. A third group of 17 baboons received an infusion of KCl after coronary artery ligation. A fourth group of 26 baboons received infusion of GIK. Coronary artery ligation resulted in the expected fall of ATP, creatine phosphate, glycogen, tissue (K+/Na+) ratio, and tissue pH, and rise of inorganic phosphate, lactare, lactate/pyruvate ratio and alpha-glycerophosphate in the infarction zones. Compared with ligation, additional infusions of GIK approximately doubled the contents of creatine phosphate and glycogen in the infarct zones, increased the content of ATP in the central infarct zone, and decreased the content of inorganic phosphate in the peripheral infarct zone. Other GIK effects were t...