Population
Wild small mammals (body mass 3-20 g), including the common shrew (Sorex araneus), and laboratory mice
Comparison
Caffeine applied to right ventricular strips vs null
Design
Preclinical
Authors
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Supports intracellular Ca2+ dominance in mammalian ventricular contraction; leaves open human translation and clinical relevance.
In small mammals, intracellular stores are the main source of activating Ca2+ for cardiac muscle contraction, and shrews adapt to high metabolic rates through a long, narrow ventricular shape rather than increased heart rate or mass.
Matti Vornanen (1989) studied this question.
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