Interaction of interval-force relationship with aortic pressure and stroke volume

The modification by aortic pressure and stroke volume of the response in cardiac performance to increases in heart rate (interval-force relationship) has not been previously studied. To investigate this interaction, 30 adrenergically blocked anesthetized dogs on right heart bypass were studied. At constant low aortic pressure and stroke volume, increasing heart rate (over the entire range 60-180) is associated with a continuously increasing stroke power, decreasing systolic ejection period, and an unchanging left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and circumference. At increased aortic pressure or stroke volume at low rates (60-120), increases in heart rate were associated with an increased performance. However, at increased aortic pressure or stroke volume at high rates (120-180), increases in heart rate were associated with a leveling or decrease in performance. Thus, an increase in aortic pressure or stroke volume results in an accentuation of the improvement in cardiac performance observed with increases in heart rate, but this response is limited to a low heart rate range. Therefore, the hemodynamic response to given increases in heart rate is critically dependent on aortic pressure and stroke volume.