Inotropic effects of ejection are myocardial properties

Recent studies in isolated and in vivo canine hearts have suggested that the left ventricular end-systolic pressure (LVPes) of ejecting beats is the net result of a balance between positive and negative effects of ejection. At present, it is unknown whether these ejection effects are merely a ventricular chamber property or represent a fundamental myocardial property. Accordingly, we examined the effects of ejection in eight isolated rat cardiac trabeculae at the sarcomere level. We approximated in situ sarcomere shortening patterns using an iterative computer loading system. Six isovolumic contractions were compared with four ejecting contractions. The superfusing solution contained either 0.7 mM Ca2+ or 0.65 mM Sr2+ plus 0.15 mM Ca2+. With Ca2+, simulated LVPes ("LVP"es) of ejecting contractions was significantly lower than isovolumic "LVP"es (-5.3 +/- 5.6%), whereas with Sr2+, ejecting "LVP"es was significantly higher than isovolumic "LVP"es (+4.5 +/- 7.5%). Contraction duration and time to end systole were markedly prolonged in ejecting vs. isovolumic contractions with either Ca2+ or Sr2+. As a consequence, comparison of simulated LVP between ejecting and isovolumic beats throughout the contraction, i.e., at the same simulated LVV and time, revealed only a positive effect of ejection with either Ca2+ (+18.8 +/- 5.5%) or Sr2+ (+23.4 +/-9.3%). We conclude that both positive and negative effects of ejection are basic myocardial properties.