Increased Coronary Contraction to Thromboxane A2 in Cardiac Surgery Patients With Poorly Controlled Hypertension.

INTRODUCTION: Cardioplegia and cardiopulmonary bypass (CP/CPB) alters coronary arteriolar response to thromboxane A2 (TXA2) in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Comorbidities, including hypertension (HTN), can further alter coronary vasomotor tone. This study investigates the effects of HTN on coronary arteriolar response to TXA2 pre and post-CP/CPB and cardiac surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Coronary arterioles pre and post-CP/CPB were dissected from atrial tissue samples in patients with no HTN (NH, n = 9), well-controlled HTN (WC, n = 12), or uncontrolled HTN (UC, n = 12). In-vitro coronary microvascular reactivity was examined in the presence of TXA2 analog U46619 (10-9-10-4M). Protein expression of TXA2 receptor in the harvested right atrial tissue samples were measured by immunoblotting. RESULTS: TXA2 analog U46619 induced dose-dependent contractile responses of coronary arterioles in all groups. Pre-CPB contractile responses to U46619 were significantly increased in microvessels in the UC group compared to the NH group (P < 0.05). The pre-CP/CPB contractile responses of coronary arterioles were significantly diminished post-CP/CPB among the three groups (P < 0.05), but there remained an increased contractile response in the microvessels of the UC group compared to the WC and NH groups (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in U46619-induced vasomotor tone between patients in the NH and WC groups (P > 0.05). There were no differences in expression of TXA2R among groups. CONCLUSIONS: Poorly controlled HTN is associated with increased contractile response of coronary arterioles to TXA2. This alteration may contribute to worsened recovery of coronary microvascular function in patients with poorly controlled HTN after CP/CPB and cardiac surgery.

Poorly controlled hypertension is associated with increased coronary myogenic tone in patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass.

OBJECTIVE: Cardioplegia and cardiopulmonary bypass dysregulate coronary vasomotor tone, which can be further affected by common comorbidities in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. This study investigates differences in coronary myogenic tone and vasomotor responses to phenylephrine before and after cardioplegia and cardiopulmonary bypass based on hypertension history. METHODS: Coronary arterioles before and after cardioplegia and cardiopulmonary bypass were dissected from atrial tissue samples in patients with no hypertension, well-controlled hypertension, or uncontrolled hypertension, as determined by documented history of hypertension, antihypertensive agent use, and clinical blood pressure measurements averaged over 1 year. Myogenic tone in response to stepwise increases in intraluminal pressure was studied between pressure steps. Microvascular reactivity in response to phenylephrine was assessed via vessel myography. Protein expression was measured with immunoblotting. RESULTS: Coronary myogenic tone was significantly increased in the uncontrolled hypertension group compared with the no hypertension and well-controlled hypertension groups before cardioplegia and cardiopulmonary bypass at higher intraluminal pressures, and after cardioplegia and cardiopulmonary bypass across all intraluminal pressures (P < .05). Contractile responses to phenylephrine were significantly enhanced in patients in the uncontrolled hypertension group compared with the well-controlled hypertension group before cardioplegia and cardiopulmonary bypass, and in the uncontrolled hypertension group compared with the no hypertension and well-controlled hyertension groups after cardioplegia and cardiopulmonary bypass (P < .05). There were no differences in myogenic tone or phenylephrine-induced reactivity between the no hypertension and well-controlled hypertension groups (P > .05). There was increased expression of phosphorylated protein kinase C alpha in the uncontrolled hypertension group after cardiopulmonary bypass compared with before cardiopulmonary bypass and increased phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 in the uncontrolled hypertension compared with the no hypertension group after cardiopulmonary bypass (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Uncontrolled hypertension is associated with increased coronary myogenic tone and vasoconstrictive response to phenylephrine that persists after cardioplegia and cardiopulmonary bypass.