Effects of glutamic acid on cardiac function and energy metabolism of rat heart during ischaemia and reperfusion

The effects of exogenous glutamate (20 mm) on myocardial energy metabolism and cardiac function during low-flow ischaemia and subsequent reperfusion were studied in isolated working rat hearts. Hearts were made severely ischaemic for 60 min by reducing the perfusion rate to 0.17 ml/min, and then reperfused for 30 min. Low-flow ischaemia resulted in a 50% reduction of myocardial ATP, a 70% reduction of both creatine phosphate (CP) and GTP, and a 250% rise in AMP. After reperfusion, CP was restored to normal levels but ATP and GTP remained significantly low. All hearts failed completely to recover cardiac pump function. The addition of glutamate to the perfusate during low-flow ischaemia had no significant effect on myocardial highenergy phosphates (HEP) but slightly increased succinate production. Subsequent reperfusion without added glutamate resulted in the recovery of 62% of pre-ischaemic aortic flow rate, as well as restoration of myocardial ATP and GTP to 70% of their control values and of creatine phosphate to supranormal levels. Reperfusion with added glutamate did not raise HEP levels any further but did increase recovery of cardiac function to 92% or more of pre-ischaemic values. Thus, by mechanism(s) which are not yet clear but which may include an increase in HEP via anaerobic succinate production, elevated levels of exogenous glutamate exert a highly beneficial effect on the post-ischaemic recovery of cardiac function.