In 16 patients undergoing angioplasty of the left anterior descending coronary artery, the clinical, electrocardiographic, and hemodynamic effects of short-term intravenous nonselective ,Badrenergic blockade with propranolol (0.1 mg/kg) were assessed during temporary occlusion of the artery. Myocardial ischemia during coronary occlusion was prevented, delayed in onset, or diminished in magnitude by propranolol in 10 of the 16 (j3-adrenergic blockers, calcium antagonists, and long-acting nitrates) were discontinued at least five half-lives before study. Use of sublingual nitroglycerin was permitted until 6 hr before study. In five patients (Nos. 1, 3, 5, 6, and 12) administration of calcium antagonists was continued uninterrupted before the procedure. All patients received 325 mg of aspirin orally the night before the study and 10,000 units of heparin intra-arterially at the beginning of the procedure. No intravenous or intracoronary nitroglycerin was administered until after the research portion of the experiment was completed. All patients gave written informed consent. The study was approved by the appropriate institutional review committees.Angioplasty. Angioplasty of the left anterior descending coronary artery was performed in the usual fashion, except that calcium antagonists and nitrates were omitted (as noted). Briefly, a No. 8F angioplasty sheath (USCI) was placed percutaneously in the right femoral artery, and through it a No. 8F FL4 or FL4G guide catheter was positioned in the ascending aorta. An appropriately sized "steerable" balloon dilation catheter (USCI, 2.5 to 3.5 mm diameter, 25 mm length) was positioned through the guide catheter across the stenosis of the left anterior descending artery so that when inflated ( 1 to 2 atm) the balloon also obstructed any branches proximal to the stenosis. This was confirmed angiographically. From the right femoral vein a catheter was positioned in the pulmonary arterial wedge position to measure left ventricular filling pressure. From the right or left antecubital vein, a multithermistor catheter was positioned in the coronary sinus to measure regional coronary venous flow (thermodilution). The distal thermistor was positioned in the great cardiac vein close to its juncture with the anterior interventricular vein.The balloon dilation catheter usually initially obstructed the left anterior descending artery an amount sufficient to lead to signs or symptoms of myocardial ischemia. In all cases several brief balloon inflations were performed to decrease the magnitude of obstruction. The balloon was then deflated, and pressures, the electrocardiogram, and clinical signs were monitored. None of the patients had clinical, ECG, or hemodynamic evidence of myocardial ischemia for at least 5 min before control period measurements were made.Control period. When all evidence of transient myocardial ischemia was absent for at least 5 min, control period recordings of aortic, distal coronary, and left ventricular filling pressures; ECG leads I, II, and V5; and gr...