A theoretical model of regionally ischemic myocardium.

The isometric tension development of a one-dimensional regionally ischemic muscle was analyzed theoretically. The model consist of a one-dimensional normal segment in series with a one-dimensional ischemic segment. Each segment is modeled as a three-element muscle. The inputs to the various elements, except the contractile element in ischemic segment, were obtained from published data for cat papillary muscles. To be consistent with segment length measurements on ischemic canine hearts, it was assumed that the ischemic contractile element contracted normally at the beginning of contraction and then at some tension, TM, fell behind in its rate of tension development compared to the contractile element in the normal segment. Rate of tension development of various lengths of the ischemic segment and strengths of the ischemic contractile element. At the tension, TM, the ischemic segment begins undergoing paradoxical expansion and, simultaneously, as a result of the expansion. the time derivative of the tension produced by the regionally ischemic muscle exhibits a sudden decrease.