The influence of dl-α-tocopheryl nicotinate on coronary arterial circulation, particularly the development of collateral vessels in the heart of 48 Beagle dogs was investigated. The drug (100 mg/kg) was given orally before and after ligation of the anterior descending branch of the coronary artery. The experimental animals were separated into 5 groups according to the mode of drug administration, i.e. normal control, ligated control, and 3 medicated groups. the total period of the experiment was 5 months for each groups. We examined the general conditions, the electrocardiogram, the treadmill loaded electrocardiogram, and "back pressure" and "back flow" at the area of the ligated coronary artery immediately before sacrifice, and anastomoses by coronary arterial roentgenography and histological examination after sacrifice. The following results were obtained; 1) There was no difference in the number of coronary arterial anastomoses between the ligated control group and the EN medicated groups. However, the small arteries of the "large or very large" class with a diameter of 401μ or more were increased to a greater extent in the EN medicated groups when the drug was given after ligation, or before and after ligation. 2) "Back flow"/systemic pressure showed a significant increase in the EN medicated groups after ligation, or medicated before and after ligation as compared with the ligated control group (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05 respectively). 3) An increase in "back pressure"/systemic pressure was found in the EN medicated groups after ligation and those medicated before and after ligation, but such was not statistically significant. 4) The increase in heart rates with the treadmill test was less in the EN medicated groups than in the ligated control group. It would appear that dl-α-tocopheryl nicotinate accelerates the formation of the large collateral vessels and increases the reserve capacity in ventricular function in experimentally induced myocardial infarction in dogs.

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The left ventricular systolic ejection phase was cineangiographically analyzed in an attempt to evaluate left ventricular performance. Forty-eight patients were classified into five groups: (1) 9 controls; (2) 5 patients with PMD (congestive type) (COCM); (3) 9 patients with PMD hypertrophic type) (HCM), (4) 9 patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD); and (5) 16 patients with mitral stenosis (MS). The rate of volume change (ΔV/Δt) and the volume change as a percentage of stroke volume (ΔV/SV) in patients with COCM and IHD were lower in the early systole and higher in the mid-systole as compared with the control group. Normalized systolic ejection rate (NSER) and velocity of circumferential fiber shortening (Vcf) for the early and late systole were significantly lower in patients with COCM and IHD than in the control group. In two patients with IHD in whom normal indices of left ventricular performance and no asynergy were observed, NSER and Vcf were normal in the late systole but were significantly lower in the early systole. In all 48 patients, ΔV/Δt, ΔV/SV, NSER and Vcf were compared statistically with conventional ejection phase indices and isometric phase indices. ΔV/SV for the mid-systole showed a negative correlation with EF, MNSER and mVcf. NSER and Vcf for all three phases showed a good correlation with Vmax, max dp/dt and R-max dp/dt but a better correlation with EF, MNSER and mVcf. It was concluded that NSER and Vcf for the early systole were sensitive indices of left ventricular performance and may be utilized to detect subtle depression of left ventricular performance.

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Polarcardiography made possible not only to let us know the polar coordinates of the cardiac vectors at any instant very easily, but also to express the time-related curve of the polar coordinates of the cardiac vectors, which very as function of time, in easily understandable analogue pattern. Especially it was difficult to grasp the time-related curves of the polar coordinates of ST segment and T wave by means of the conventional electrocardiography and vector-cardiography. QRS waves, ST segments and T waves of the spatial magnitude ECG, horizontal magnitude ECG, β-longitude ECG and I-S latitude ECG in normal subjects were classified into the several definite patterns.

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