title: Heterometric regulation and calcium sensitivity of the infarcted rat heart.
abstract: 1. The surviving hypertrophied muscle remaining after myocardial infarction in rats is less sensitive to extracellular Ca2+ than the normal myocardium. Since the inotropic effect of Ca2+ is modulated by sarcomere length, the present study was undertaken to determine if Ca2+ desensitization of infarcted left ventricles (LV) can be modulated by increasing the diastolic pressure (DP). 2. Rats submitted to left coronary artery ligation (N = 11) or sham-operation (N = 9) were killed 8-10 days later and their hearts perfused by the Langendorff technique. A balloon was introduced into the LV cavity to measure the isovolumic systolic pressure (ISP) produced by DP changes (0 to 25 mmHg) at three Ca2+ concentrations (0.8, 1.25 and 2.5 mM). 3. In control hearts submitted to a DP of 5 mmHg, the ISP increased from 36 +/- 3 to 63 +/- 4 and to 74 +/- 4 mmHg as external Ca2+ was changed from 0.8 to 1.25 and to 2.5 mM, respectively. In contrast, in infarcted hearts submitted to the same DP and Ca2+ concentrations, the ISP increased from 19 +/- 2 to 26 +/- 2 and to 27 +/- 3 mmHg. The depressed response to Ca2+ was not modified by increasing DP up to 25 mmHg, the greatest DP tested. At this DP, ISP increased from 75 +/- 4 to 103 +/- 5 and to 114 +/- 5 mmHg in control hearts and from 45 +/- 2 to 54 +/- 3 and to 55 +/- 4 mmHg in infarcted hearts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, Brasil.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Mill
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stefanon
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Vassallo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003971:Diastole / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000187:drug effects; D013599:Systole / Q000187:drug effects; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium