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Circulation, Vol 68, 1116-1126, Copyright © 1983 by American Heart Association

ARTICLES

Differential electrocardiographic effects of myocardial ischemia induced by atrial pacing in dogs with various locations of coronary stenosis

DM Mirvis

The spatial distribution of abnormal repolarization potentials caused by regional myocardial ischemia was determined in 45 dogs. Ameroid constrictors were placed around the left circumflex artery in 10, the left anterior descending artery in 10, and the right coronary artery in 10. Ten dogs without constrictors served as controls. Electrocardiographic events were determined from body surface isopotential distributions, which were computed from potentials sensed by 84 torso electrodes. In control dogs, pacing to heart rates of 230 to 250 beats/min increased the intensity of positive and negative surface extrema during the ST segment without altering their spatial features. Two weeks after placement of the ameroid constrictors, tachycardia induced abnormal negative potentials during the ST segment. Localization of these ischemic forces varied with the placement of the constrictor in a manner consistent with the affected perfusion territories. However, much of the torso surface was involved by all lesions, and only small zones of ST segment depression unique to specific lesions could be identified. In five additional dogs a constrictor was placed on the right coronary artery 3 months after implantation of a device on the circumflex vessel. ST segment patterns during pacing in dogs with two lesions were consistent with the sum of the two individual lesions. Thus, the regional nature of myocardial ischemia is detectable in the body surface isopotential distributions, but the degree of spatial overlap may limit the value of such techniques in extending the usefulness of clinical exercise-stress electrocardiography.