Experimental Evidence of Ventricular Diastolic Suction

Intraventricular pressures were measured during brief periods of mitral orifice occlusion to determine whether or not the ventricle can exert a sucking force during diastole. This procedure was based on the premise that with a wide open mitral orifice negative diastolic transmural pressures cannot be detected in the ventricle because the adjoining atrium has collapsible walls. During mitral orifice closure, negative intraventricular pressures were recorded, and Ringer's solution was sucked against the force of gravity into the ventricle. It is concluded that the mammalian ventricle is capable of sucking blood from the atrium into its cavity.