125 & 129: Ischemic Heart Disease Pathogenesis and Pathology Flashcards
Which anti-ischemic agents work to decrease O2 demand and increase O2 supply?
Nitrates
Ca2+ channel blockers
What is hypoxia?
Common causes?
Decreased oxygen supply to a tissue with normal perfusion
Cyanotic congenital heart disease, anemia, CO poisoning
Describe the morphology of the heart 1 week - 1 month after infarction
- Necrotic muscle is resorbed
- Fibrous tissue becomes a myocardial scar
- Thin, strong
- Low risk of rupture
- Prone to aneurysm
What is the gold standard for diagnosing ischemic heart disease?
Why isn’t it always performed?
Coronary angiography
- Catherization
- Inject radiographic dye for contrast
It is not used all the time because it is invasive
Describe the morphology of a later (6-12 hour) myocardial infarction
- Contraction band necrosis
-
Coagulative necrosis (cell outlines but no centers)
- Muscle fibers are eosinophilic (red)
- Pyknosis of nuclei
- Shrinkage and darkening
Thrombosis in ____________ would cause infarction in the Lateral LV wall
Left Circumflex Artery
How would increased intraventricular pressure affect coronary blood flow?
Increased intraventricular pressure would decrease coronary blood flow
Describe Class II Angina
Slight limitation of ordinary activity
Angina with…
- Walking or climbing stairs rapidly
- Walking uphill
- Exertion after meals
- Cold weather
- Emotional stress
- The first few hours after awakening
Describe the characteristics of a subendothelial MI
- Ischemic necrosis in the inner 1/3-1/2 of the ventricular wall
- NOT associated with intraluminal thrombosis
What are the indications for myocardial revascularization?
- Failure of pharmacologic therapy
- Progression of symptoms
- Intolerable side effects of pharmacologic therapy
- Compelling anatomy
- Severe cardiac dysfunction
- Ejection fraction < 40%
- Low threshold for ischemia
- Ex: at rest, or more severe classification
How do renin/angiotensin inhibitors work to treat ischemic heart disease?
Renin/Angiotensin agents…
- Decrease blood pressure -> reduce chance of thrombotic event
- Inhibit progression of atherosclerosis -> Increase vascular integrity (prevent rupture)
This reduces the risk of clot formation that could completely occlude a coronary artery
After MI, when is the heart most vulnerable to rupture? Why?
(When is its mechanical integrity weakest?)
- 3-7 days after infarct
- Dead muscle is replaced by macrophages and reparative cells
- Everything is soft and inflammed
- Repair has not yet begun
What 4 clinical syndromes may result from ischemic heart disease?
- Angina pectoris
- Myocardial infarction
- Chronic ischemic heart disease
- Sudden cardiac death
Describe the timeline of ATP loss due to cardiac ischemia
- <2 min: Noticible decrease in contractility
- 10 min: 50% ATP loss
- 40 min: 90% ATP loss
- 1 hour: Myovascular injury
- Reperfusion at this point leads to hemorrhage
Which angina class is described as:
“Ordinary activity does not cause angina - Angina with strenuous, rapid, or prolonged exertion only”
Angina Class I
What is CABG?
Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: Surgical intervention for ischemic heart disease
- Arterial and/or venous conduits are places in the mid to distal coronary arteries
- The stenosis is proximal to the conduit
- Leave occlusion in place; make new paths around it
- This increases blood flow to the ischemic myocardium
- Vein remodels and becomes revascularized
- Use in more severe cases or if multiple occlusions exist
After MI, when would you begin to see infiltration by neutrophils?
12-24 hours
(peak 3 days after infarct)
List the 4 major causes of myocardial infarction
- Thrombosis of a coronary artery (leading cause)
- Usually due to ulceration or rupture of an atheromatous plaque
- Infarct without thrombosis
- Lysis of thrombus or arterial spasm (rare)
- Thromboembolism
- Arteritis or dissection (rare)
Describe the mechanism of action of Ranolazine
Ranolazine closes the late inward Na+ gate
- Less Na+ in = less Na+/Ca2+ exchange
- Prevents Ca2+ overload that leads to arrythmia
- Does not alter HR or BP
What are the pros and cons of PTCA as treatment for ischemic heart disease?
- Pros
- It is effective!
- Cons
- Metal may induce re-occlusion due to proliferation of endothelium in response to inflammation
- It must damage the vessel in order to expand the lumen
- This can cause rupture or hemorrhage
When would you expect total creatine kinase to rise, peak, and return to normal after MI?
What about the MB subform of creatine kinase?
- Total Creatine Kinase
- Rise after 4-6 hours
- Peak 24h
- Return to normal after 3-4 days
- MB subform
- Peak <24h
- Return to normal after 2 days
What 3 cell types would you expect to find in an ischemic myocardium?
- Necrotic myocytes
- Interstitial hemorrhage
- Reversibly injured “stunned” myocytes
What is anoxia?
Complete lack of oxygen supply to a tissue despite normal perfusion
(hypoxia is a decrease in oxygen supply, anoxia is total)
What is atypical angina?
Angina in an atypical location, or not related to typical provoking factors
More common in women, diabetic patients
Desribe the mechanism of action of Nitrates
Nitrates increase cGMP to promote myocardial relaxation and aterial dilation to decrease O2 demand and increase O2 supply
- Venodilation
- -> Decreased myocardial wall tension
- -> Increaesd myocardial blood flow
- -> Decreased myocardial wall tension
Which coronary is the most common site for thrombosis?
Left anterior descending artery (40%)
Right coronary artery (27%)
Left circumflex artery (11%)
What structures of the heart are supplied by the right coronary artery (RCA)?
- Anterior right ventricle
- Posterior 1/3 fo the IV septum
- Posterior right ventricle
- Part of the posterior left ventricle
Which anti-ischemic agent prevents arrhythmia and does not alter blood pressure or heart rate?
Ranolazines
(works by closing late inward Na+ gate -> reduces Na+/Ca2+ exchange -> prevents Ca2+ overload)
Describe the mechanism of action of Ca2+ channel blockers in treating ischemia
Ca2+ channel blockers decrease Ca2+ entry into myocardial and atrial smooth muscle
- Decreases oxygen demand
- Decrease HR
- Decrease blood pressure
- Decreaes contractility
- Increases oxygen supply
- Increase ventricular relaxation
- Increase dilation of coronary arteries
- Prevents coronary arterial spasm
When would you expect myoglobin to rise, peak, and return to normal after MI?
- Rise 2h after infarction
- Peak 6-8 h
- Return to normal after 20-36
When would you expect lactate dehydrogenase to rise, peak, and return to normal after MI?
- Rise begins at 24h
- Peak after 3 days
- Return to normal after 8-9 days
How would reduced aortic diastolic pressure affect coronary blood flow?
Reduced aortic diastolic pressure would reduce coronary blood flow
What is ischemia?
O2 deprivation + inadequate removal of metabolites due to reduced perfusion
Describe the morphology of an early (1-6 hour) myocardial infarction
- No gross or light microscope findings
- Electronic microscope reveals…
- Wavy “lasagna noodle” muscle fibers
- Leakage of myocardial enzymes (can be detected with dye)
After myocardial infarction, rupture of which walls would most likely lead to cardiac tamponade?
When is this likely to occur?
Free walls
- Anteror, lateral, or posterior walls of LV
Most likely to happen 3-7 days after infarction, when the heart is most vulnerable
- Everything is soft and inflammed
- Repair has not yet begun
When would you expect Troponin to rise, peak, and return to normal after MI?
- Rise in 4-6h
- Peak 12-16 h
- Return to normal after 10+ days