Intramyocardial Oxygen Tension*

AUTHOR’S SYNOPSIS. Quantitative intramyocardial oxygen tension measurements were made in 16 anaesthetized dogs using a polarographic technique. In the resting state, an oxygen tension gradient exists across the wall of the left ventricle, with a significantly lower oxygen tension in the subendocardium than the subepicardium. In chronic coronary artery disease, hypertension, and shock, the subendocardial region of the heart is particularly susceptible to the development of pathological lesions. Recently, a number o