The isolated cardiac myocytes of rats were immediately infected by cosackievirus B3 (CVB3) to investigate the effects of such procedure on the cell cycle, apoptosis and intrazellular ionized calcium (Ca²⁺ i) of cardiac myocytes. Newborn Balb/c murine cardiac myocytes were cultivated, then infected by CVB3. Intracellular Ca²⁺ i was measured by flow cytometer. The calcium in the medium for culturing cardiac myocytes was detected by using atom absorb spectrum test. It was found that CVB3 could markedly inhibit the differentiation and proliferation of the infected cardiac myocytes and induce the apoptosis. The intracellular Ca²⁺ i level in the infected group was significantly higher than in the control group (P<0.01). The calcium concentration in the medium for culturing cardiac myocytes in the infected group was significantly lower than in the control group (P<0.05). It was suggested that the apoptosis and intracellular calcium overload of the CVR3-affected cardiac myocytes are likely to play an important role in the pathogenesis of viral myocarditis.

The potent antioxidative potential of propofol during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in adults was investigated. The selected 30 patients receiving open heart surgery under CPB were randomly divided into group A and group B. The patients in the group A and group B were given propofol (0. 1 mg. kg⁻¹, min⁻¹ and fentanyl (5 μg. kg⁻¹, min⁻¹) respectively to maintain anesthesia after aorta was cross-clamped. Blood samples were drawn pre-anesthesia, pre-CPB, at 30 min of CPB, at the end of CPB, at 1 h after CPB, at the end of operation, at 12 and 24 h postoperatively. RBC suspension was prepared and erythrocyte glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) and phosphofructokinase (PFK) activities, total erythrocyte reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized GSH (GSSG) were assayed and GSH/GSSG ratio was calculated. In the group A, G-6-PD and PFK activities and GSH/GSSG ratio were almost uneventfully during CPB and postoperatively. In the group B, G-6-PD activity was increased and PFK activity and GSH/GSSG ratio decreased significantly from 30 min of CPB until 12 h postoperatively. It was demonstrated that propofol could obviously attenuate free radical activity during CPB, while fentanyl has no effect on free radical reduction. Propofol could be beneficial as an anesthetic in patients presenting pathologies associated with free radical reactions during CPB.