AJP - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, Vol 259, Issue 5 1606-H1608, Copyright © 1990 by American Physiological Society
Coronary resistance increase by nondefatted albumin in saline-perfused rabbit hearts
J. H. Van Beek, P. Bouma and N. Westerhof
Laboratory for Physiology, Free University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
In isolated hearts perfused with salt solutions, albumin is often added in
low concentrations for preservation of endothelial function. Albumin in low
concentrations is also sometimes used as an intravascular indicator in such
preparations. We perfused isolated rabbit hearts according to Langendorff
with a constant flow of Tyrode solution. Despite maximal vasodilation with
10 microM adenosine, coronary vascular resistance increased by 14% after
0.3 g/100 ml nondefatted bovine serum albumin (Sigma A-9647) was added to
the perfusate compared with the control resistance with no albumin present.
The 50% response time for the vasoconstrictive response to the step change
in albumin concentration was 20 +/- 13 s (mean +/- SD). When 0.3 g/100 ml
of defatted albumin (Sigma A-6003) was added, the resistance increase was
only 1.4% and is explained by increased viscosity. Vasoconstrictive effects
of certain nondefatted albumin preparations must be taken into account by
investigators who perfuse organs with albumin-containing solutions.
