Hydrogen peroxide-induced intracellular acidosis and electromechanical inhibition in the diseased human ventricular myocardium.

Accumulation of oxygen free radicals is an important mediator of post-ischemia/reperfusion cardiac dysfunction. However, oxidative injury has not been well characterized in human cardiac tissues. In the present study, we superfused hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) into the diseased human ventricle in order to assess the effects of oxygen free radicals on the electromechanical parameters and the intracellular pH (pH(i)), and to test the ability of certain potential cardioprotective agents, including scavengers of hydrogen peroxide (dibenzamidostilbene disulfonic acid; DBDS), the.