title: Means for load variation during echocardiographic assessment of the Frank-Starling relationship.
abstract: Because minimally invasive methods of preload variation are not validated for load-insensitive indexes of cardiac performance, intravenous nitroglycerin (NTG), phenylephrine, and saline solution (VOL) boluses were used in blocked and intact autonomic states to alter load and were compared with vena caval occlusion in the assessment of preload recruitable stroke work relationships between stroke work and left ventricular end-diastolic volume in dogs. In both autonomic states NTG and VOL produced comparable linear relationships. NTG and saline solution were combined with noninvasive measurements of left ventricular pressure and volume to construct echocardiographic relationships between stroke work and left ventricular end-diastolic cross-sectional area; NTG produced linear relationships similar to vena caval occlusion. Therefore NTG and VOL reliably alter load in constructing preload recruitable stroke work relationships, and NTG may be used with noninvasive measurements to provide load-insensitive estimates of cardiac function in a minimally invasive manner.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Surgery, Medicine, and Biomedical Engineering, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: B Z
authors.initials: BZ
authors.lastname: Atkins
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Silvestry
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kisslo
authors.forename: D D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Glower
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004285:Dogs; D004452:Echocardiography; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D016014:Linear Models; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010210:Papillary Muscles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D010656:Phenylephrine; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D005996:Nitroglycerin