Chronic myocardial and coronary arterial effects of intracoronary supersaturated oxygen therapy in swine with normal and ischemic-reperfused myocardium

The study assessed chronic myocardial, coronary and systemic effects of intracoronary supersaturated oxygen (SSO(2)) therapy. Left anterior descending coronary arteries of 40 swine were stented and randomized to 90-min selective intracoronary infusion of SSO(2) (pO(2) 760–1000 mmHg) or normoxemic saline. In 20 out of 40 animals, SSO(2) delivery followed a 60-min balloon occlusion to induce myocardial infarction (MI). In both normal and MI models, intracoronary treatment with hyperoxemic SSO(2) therapy showed no evidence of coronary thrombosis. There were no biologically relevant differences between treatments at either time point in regard to coronary intervention site healing and neointimal growth. No signs of any myocardial or systemic toxicity were observed after 7 or 30 days. A trend was observed toward reduced incidence of microscopic MI scars and reduced infarct size in histopathology, as well as toward better recovery of echocardiographically evaluated global and regional contractility at 30 days. No treatment related infarcts or thromboemboli were observed in the downstream organs.