DOWN SIZED SKELETAL MUSCLE VENTRICLES IN INTRATHORACIC POSITION TESTED WITH MOCK CIRCULATION.

Abstract

Small sized (1ml/kg BW) and intrathoracically positioned skeletal muscle ventricles (SMVs) were constructed from electrically conditioned canine latissimus dorsi muscle. Our hypothesis is that the smaller pump size would give sufficient ejection fraction (EF) and pressure resistance during circulatory assist. The stroke work (SW) and EF of SMVS were studied with a mock circulation device. EF reached 43.6% and 31.5%, SW reached 42.3mJ and 46.0mJ, which is estimated as 247% of canine RV-SW, and 54% of LV-SW, at afterloads of 30 mmHg and 80 mmHg, respectively. The EF seems higher than previous reported larger SMVs. Future studies are needed to investigate the effect of down sizing of SMVS on muscle tissue preservation or rupture prevention and antithrombogenesity.