Abstract
Both myocardial contractility and contraction duration were assessed load-independently in isolated hypertrophic and control rat hearts. Hemodynamic parameters for isolated isovolumically contracting hearts were compared for 7 Wistar rats with DOCA-salt induced hypertrophy (LVH) and 7 controls. Loads were altered by changing the volume of an intraventricular balloon. Myocardial contractility was assessed in terms of the shortening-afterload (Sm-σaft), and the ejection fractionafterload (EF-σaft) relations at common preloads, based upon the systolic myocardial stiffness concept. Indices of contraction duration (time to maximum stiffness, pressure time integral divided by peak pressure and the time required for left ventricular (LV) peak pressure to be reduced by a half) were prolonged in LVH. Multiple regression analyses indicated that the degree of hypertrophy was an independent determinant of the contraction duration. The Sm-σaft and EF-σaft relations at common preloads demonstrated normal contractility in the LVH group. The time constant of the fall in LV pressure and the diastolic myocardial stiffness remained normal in the LVH group. Thus, we introduced the new approach to load-independently assess both the myocardial contractility and the contraction duration in a whole ventricle. A prolonged contraction duration in the presence of normal myocardial contractility was observed in a ventricle with moderate pressure-overload hypertrophy.
