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Biomedical subjects

H Suga

Publications and source records attributed to H Suga.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Effects of intracoronary fentanyl on left ventricular mechanoenergetics in the excised cross-circulated canine heart (revised publication).

BACKGROUND: It is still unclear whether fentanyl directly alters left ventricular (LV) contractility and oxygen consumption. This is because of the difficulty in defining and evaluating contractility and energy use independently of ventricular loading conditions and heart rate in beating whole hearts. METHODS: This study was conducted to clarify the mechanoenergetic effects of intracoronary fentanyl in six excised cross-circulated canine hearts. The authors used the framework of the Emax (a contractility index)-PVA (systolic pressure-volume area, a measure of total mechanical energy)-VO2 (myocardial oxygen consumption per beat) relationship practically independent of ventricular loading conditions. The authors measured LV pressure, volume, coronary flow, and arteriovenous oxygen content difference to calculate Emax, PVA, and VO2. They first obtained the VO2-PVA relationship for varied LV volumes at control Emax. The authors then obtained the VO2-PVA relationship at a constant LV volume, whereas coronary blood fentanyl concentration was increased in steps up to 240 ng/ml. Finally, they obtained the VO2-PVA relationship for varied LV volumes at the final dose of fentanyl. RESULTS: Fentanyl at any concentrations did not significantly change Emax, PVA, and VO2 from the control. The linear end-systolic pressure-volume relations and their slopes were virtually the same between the control and fentanyl volume loading in each heart. Further, either the slope (oxygen cost of PVA) or the VO2 intercept (unloaded VO2) of the linear VO2-PVA relationship remained unchanged by fentanyl. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that intracoronary fentanyl produces virtually no effects on LV mechanoenergetics for a wide range of its blood concentration.

Anesthetics, Intravenous↗

New mechanoenergetic evaluation of left ventricular contractility in in situ rat hearts.

We recorded a series of ejecting left ventricular (LV) pressure (P)-volume (V) loops of in situ rat hearts during a gradual ascending aortic occlusion. The end-systolic (ES) P-V relationship (ESPVR) was upward convex curvilinear regardless of LV contractility. The ESPVR was shifted upward in an enhanced contractility by dobutamine and downward in a depressed contractility by propranolol; ESP at a midrange V of 0.1 ml/g LV on each ESPVR increased from 131 +/- 11 to 192 +/- 17 mmHg and decreased from 136 +/- 10 to 110 +/- 7 mmHg, respectively. Furthermore, we obtained an upward concave curvilinear pressure-volume area (PVA; a measure of total mechanical energy)-V (preload) relationship to assess LV work capability in each contractility. This relationship also shifted upward in enhanced contractility and downward in depressed contractility; the PVA at midrange V increased from 7.9 +/- 1.2 to 12.3 +/- 1.5 mmHg. ml.beat-1.g-1 and decreased from 8.2 +/- 0.9 to 6.4 +/- 0.8 mmHg.ml.beat-1.g-1. We conclude that the heights of the ESPVR and PVA-V relationship curves can evaluate LV contractility mechanoenergetically.

Animals↗

Mechanism of constant contractile efficiency under cooling inotropy of myocardium: simulation.

We have reported that, in canine hearts, cardiac cooling to 29 degrees C enhanced left ventricular contractility but changed neither the contractile efficiency of cross-bridge (CB) cycling nor the excitation-contraction coupling energy. The mechanism of this intriguing energetics remained unknown. To get insights into this mechanism, we simulated myocardial cooling mechanoenergetics using basic Ca2+ and CB kinetics. We assumed that both adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase)-dependent sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ uptake and CB detachment decelerated with cooling. We also assumed that all the ATPase-independent SR Ca2+ release, Ca2+ binding to and dissociation from troponin, and CB attachment remained unchanged. The simulated cooling shifted the CB force-free Ca2+ concentration curve to a lower Ca2+ concentration, increasing the Ca2+ responsiveness of CB force generation, and increased the maximum Ca(2+)-activated force. The simulation most importantly showed that these cooling effects combined led to a constant contractile efficiency when Ca2+ uptake and CB detachment rate constants changed appropriately. This result seems to account for our experimentally observed constant contractile efficiency under cooling inotropy.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗

Pressure-interval relationship characterizes left ventricular irregular beat contractilities and their mean level during atrial fibrillation.

How left ventricular (LV) contractility relates to irregular RR intervals during atrial fibrillation (AF) is still unclear. We investigated the relationship between the LV contractility (Emax) of individual beats and their preceding RR intervals during AF in isovolumic contractions is excised cross-circulated canine hearts, and additionally in ejecting contractions in in situ canine hearts. Atrial high-frequency electrical stimulation induced AF. We recorded a LV electrocardiogram, volume and pressure, and calculated the Emax of every arrhythmic beat. Multiple linear regression analysis between Emax and the six preceding RR intervals of all arrhythmic beats during 1 min AF showed the preceding RR interval (RR1) and the pre-preceding interval (RR2) to be the predominant predictors of Emax. The Emax-RR1/RR2 scattergram was closely fitted by a linear regression line. We found Emax at RR1/RR2 = 1 on the regression line to be virtually identical with both mean Emax during AF and stable Emax obtained during irregular atrial pacing at the same intervals as the mean RR interval during AF. These results newly indicate that the pressure-interval relationship predominantly characterizes LV irregular beat contractilities and their mean level during AF.

Animals↗

2,3-Butanedione monoxime suppresses excitation-contraction coupling in the canine blood-perfused left ventricle.

The negative inotropism of 2,3-butanedione monoxime (BDM) < or = 5 mmol/l has been attributed primarily to directly suppressed crossbridge force development without much suppressed intracellular Ca2+ handling. However, there is evidence that BDM simultaneously or even primarily suppresses myocardial excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling. We therefore studied the mechanoenergetic effects of intracoronary BDM in the left ventricle (LV) of 11 canine excised cross-circulated hearts. We fully utilized the VO2-PVA-Emax framework that we have developed, where VO2 is myocardial O2 consumption, PVA is the systolic pressure-volume area as a measure of the total mechanical energy, and Emax is a contractility index. We gradually depressed Emax from 5.9 to 3.4 mmHg/(ml/100 g) on average by increasing intracoronary BDM to 2.6 +/- 2.1 mmol/l, and then gradually restored Emax to the pre-BDM level by increasing intracoronary CaCl2. We compared the O2 cost of Emax between BDM and Ca2+. We found that BDM and Ca2+ had a similar O2 cost of Emax. BDM did not affect the concentrations of blood-borne catecholamines. We therefore conclude that the negative inotropism of BDM is primarily due to suppressed E-C coupling in canine blood-perfused hearts.

Analysis of Variance↗

Hybrid logistic characterization of isometric twitch force-time curve of intact blood-perfused canine right ventricular papillary muscle.

We previously found that a ventricular isovolumic pressure-time curve could be well fitted by the difference between two S-shaped logistic curves for the pressure rising and falling components, and called it "hybrid logistic" function: P(t)=A/[1+exp[-(4B/A)(t-C)]]-D/[1+exp[-(4E/D)(t-F)]]+G. We reported that the parameters of this hybrid logistic function are useful to characterize left ventricular contraction and relaxation comprehensively. In this study, we investigated how well this hybrid logistic function could fit the isometric twitch force-time curves of cross-circulated right ventricular papillary muscles of 7 dogs. This function precisely fitted the isometric force curves with correlation coefficients above 0.9996, much better than another fitting function (F(t)=C(t/A)(B)exp[1-(t/A)(B)]) proposed by Nwasokwa. The present results indicate that our hybrid logistic function can also reasonably express the canine right ventricular papillary muscle isometric twitch force-time curve. We suggest the possibility that the parameters of this hybrid logistic function are also useful to comprehensively characterize right ventricular papillary muscle twitch contraction and relaxation.

Animals↗

Ryanodine decreases internal Ca2+ recirculation fraction of the canine heart as studied by postextrasystolic transient alternans.

We tested our hypothesis that the O2 wasting of Ca2+ handling in the excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling in ryanodine-treated failing hearts could be reflected by a decrease in the internal Ca2+ recirculation fraction (RF). We have reported, using canine excised cross-circulated hearts, that intracoronary ryanodine (40 nmol/l blood) halved left ventricular contractility without decreasing myocardial O2 consumption for the E-C coupling. We previously suspected this mechanoenergetic state to manifest energy wasting of Ca2+ handling due to ryanodine causing leakage of Ca2+ from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed all the sporadic spontaneous cases of postextrasystolic potentiation (PESP) obtained during the ryanodine experiments. We calculated RF from the beat constant of the exponential decay component of not only the monotonic type but also the transient alternans type of PESP. Results showed that ryanodine significantly decreased the beat constant in both types of PESP from about 2 to 1.5 beats and hence RF from 0.6 to 0.5 on the average, supporting the hypothesis. This organ-level systems approach to Ca2+ handling using transient alternans PESP as well as monotonic PESP may help obtain better insights into the mechanoenergetics of failing hearts.

Animals↗

No suppression of respiratory function of mitochondrial isolated from the hearts of anesthetized rats with high-dose pentobarbital sodium.

Pentobarbital sodium is a widely used anesthetic for animal experiments. We have already reported that a high dose of pentobarbital sodium (100 mg/kg i.p., twice the usual anesthetic dose) depresses myocardial mechanoenergetics in the canine heart. Furthermore, it has been reported that a high concentration of pentobarbital sodium inhibits myocardial contractility and mitochondrial electron transport and energy transfer. Therefore, we were afraid that the mitochondrial respiratory function would be impaired by pentobarbital anesthesia and that pentobarbital sodium would be an inappropriate anesthetic for cardiac mechanoenergetic studies. In this study, we investigated the respiratory function of mitochondria isolated from the hearts of anesthetized rats with high-dose pentobarbital sodium. We examined the mitochondrial respiratory function by the ADP/O ratio, respiratory control index (RCI), oxygen consumption rate in state III (State III O2) by oximetry, and membrane potential using a fluorescent dye, 3,3'-dipropylthiodicarbocyanine iodide (diS-C3-(5). The ADP/O ratio, RCI, and State III O2 values and changes in membrane potential induced by various respiratory substances were not significantly different between the rats with and without anesthesia. These results indicate that the respiratory function is not suppressed in the isolated myocardial mitochondria of rat hearts after high-dose pentobarbital anesthesia, although the pentobarbital sodium blood concentration was of the same order as that which exerts mitochondrial uncoupling in rat isolated mitochondrial preparation. Therefore, pentobarbital sodium anesthesia up to 100 mg/kg i.p. is applicable for mechanoenergetic studies of excised rat hearts, at least from the energetic aspect.

Adjuvants, Anesthesia↗

Mechanoenergetics of rat left ventricles in in situ and excised blood-perfused hearts and in unloaded rat left ventricular slices.

We investigated rat left ventricular (LV) mechanoenergetics in three different preparations. We obtained an upward convex curvilinear end-systolic pressure-volume relation (ESPVR) regardless of left ventricular (LV) contractility in in situ and excised cross-circulated rat hearts. We also obtained a linear myocardial O2 consumption per beat (VO2)-end-systolic pressure-volume area (PVA; a measure of ventricular total mechanical energy) relation regardless of the curvilinear LV ESPVR in the excised cross-circulated heart. The slope and the VO2 intercept of the VO2-PVA relation was similar to those in other species. The basal metabolism obtained by KCl arrest was higher than those in other species. In the whole heart preparation, the VO2 intercept may include O2 consumption for residual crossbridge cycling as well as O2 consumption for excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling and basal metabolism. Therefore, we established a new system for measuring myocardial O2 consumption of mechanically unloaded (zero PVA) rat LV slices. The increment in O2 consumption by stimulation of the slices represents O2 consumption for E-C coupling (but not for crossbridge cycling). Most O2 consumption for E-C coupling seems consist of O2 consumption for the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump.

Animals↗

Logistic character of myocardial twitch force curve: simulation.

We found that the isovolumic pressure-time curve of the canine left ventricle closely fitted the difference of two logistic function curves and that the isovolumic relaxation-pressure curve segment was more reliably characterized by a logistic time constant than by the conventional exponential time constant. We therefore hypothesized that the calcium (Ca) transient and the Ca-troponin (Tn) binding and crossbridge (CB) kinetics underlay the logistic character of the ventricular isovolumic pressure curve. We tested this hypothesis with a computer simulation of a simple Ca and CB kinetics model of myocardial isometric twitch force development. We assumed the instantaneous number of attached CBs that was theoretically given as the difference between the cumulative CB attachment and detachment curves. We radically changed the Ca transient, Ca-Tn binding, and CB kinetic parameters. We always found that both the cumulative CB attachment and detachment curves closely fitted logistic functions. The difference curve of these two best-fit logistic functions closely fitted the theoretical F curve with certain combinations of the Ca transient, the Ca-Tn binding, and the CB kinetic parameters. These results seem to support our hypothesis.

Animals↗

Effects of milrinone and sulmazole on left ventricular mechanoenergetics in canine hearts.

BACKGROUND: The effect of cardiotonic drugs with calcium-sensitizing effect (Ca2+ sensitizers) on cardiac mechanoenergetics is not fully understood. Accordingly, the effects of milrinone (a phosphodiesterase inhibitor) and sulmazole (a calcium sensitizer with a phosphodiesterase-inhibiting effect) on left ventricular mechanics and energetics were studied. METHODS AND RESULTS: In excised, cross-circulated canine hearts, myocardial oxygen consumption (Vo2), left ventricular contractility index (Emax), and systolic pressure-volume area (a measure of ventricular total mechanical energy) were measured before and during administration of either drug. Milrinone significantly increased Emax by 108.7 +/- 45.9% (mean +/- SD), from 6.3 +/- 3.5 to 13.1 +/- 6.8 mmHg.mL-1.100 g (P < .05), and sulmazole, by 73.6 +/- 54.2%, from 6.3 +/- 2.6 to 10.3 +/- 2.9 mmHg.mL-1.100 g (P < .05). Milrinone significantly abbreviated the contraction duration (Tmax) from 171 +/- 19 ms to 153 +/- 20 ms (P < .05), whereas sulmazole did not (164 +/- 36 ms to 161 +/- 31 ms, not significant), suggesting that the inotropic mechanisms of these two drugs differed. However, both drugs significantly increased the Vo2 intercept of the Vo2/pressure-volume area relation (milrinone: 0.027 +/- 0.004 to 0.036 +/- 0.003 mL O2/beat/100 g, P < .05; sulmazole: 0.025 +/- 0.005 to 0.032 +/- 0.006 mL O2/beat/100 g, P < .05) without significantly changing the slope (reciprocal of contractile efficiency). This parallel upward shift of the Vo2/pressure-volume area relation was similar to that observed with epinephrine and ouabain in our previous studies. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the two positive inotropic drugs exhibit similar mechanoenergetic effects in the normal canine heart despite the different mechanisms of action.

Animals↗

The effects of cardiac infarction on realistic three-dimensional left ventricular blood ejection.

The effect of cardiac infarction on the flow patterns in cardiac left ventricular ejection was studied using a realistic model which was made from the profile of the left ventricle of a dog heart in diastole. A coordinate measuring machine was used to measure the left ventricular coordinates, and these were input into a three-dimensional flow simulation package. The left ventricular wall motion was described by having the walls moved towards the center of the aortic outlet, and in the case of infarcted tissue, the ventricular wall movement was diminished to simulate infarction flow behavior. The final ventricular volume varied from 25 percent to 54.1 percent of the initial volume in cases without and with infarction, respectively. The maximum blood ejection velocities and ventricular pressure decreased significantly in the presence of infarction. Infarcted areas showed complex blood flow vortex formation not present in the healthy ventricles. The computational technique presented here predicts infarction flow effects which could be observed with measurement techniques such as ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging, allowing a finer detail of understanding than using either simulation or experimental measurements alone.

Animals↗

Mechanoenergetics of negative inotropism of ventricular wall vibration in dog heart.

Mechanical vibration depresses cardiac contractility. We studied the mechanoenergetic effects of this negative inotropism in the left ventricle (LV) of an isolated, cross-circulated dog heart preparation. We took full advantage of the mechanoenergetic relationship among the LV end-systolic elastance (Emax, contractility index), systolic pressure-volume area (PVA), and myocardial oxygen consumption (VO2). PVA is a measure of the total mechanical energy that cardiac contraction generates. PVA correlates closely with VO2. The VO2 intercept of the VO2-PVA relation reflects the VO2 component for excitation-contraction (E-C) coupling plus basal metabolism (PVA-independent VO2). VO2 above the PVA-independent VO2 reflects the VO2 component for mechanical contraction (PVA-dependent VO2). When we applied 70-Hz vibration of 2-mm amplitude to a LV wall region, it instantly decreased Emax and PVA by 20%, followed by a 10% decrease in VO2 at a fixed volume. However, the vibration neither lowered the VO2-PVA relation obtained at different LV volumes, unlike ordinary negative inotropism, nor changed its slope (1.88 +/- 0.23 vs. 1.86 +/- 0.23 x 10(-5) ml O2.mmHg-1.ml-1). The virtually zero delta PVA-independent VO2/delta Emax with vibration indicates a much smaller O2 cost of Emax than that seen with calcium and propranolol inotropism. These mechanoenergetics support the hypothesis that mechanical vibration primarily suppresses cardiac contractility without suppressing E-C coupling.

Animals↗

Myocardial VO2 of mechanically unloaded contraction of rat ventricular slices measured by a new approach.

We instituted a new approach of measuring mechanically unloaded myocardial oxygen consumption (VO2) by using rat left ventricular (LV) slices in an air-tight chamber filled with oxygenated Tyrode solution. Myocardial slices (300 microns in thickness) freely shortened without external load by electrical field stimulation (St). VO2 without St (n = 6) was 1.69 +/- 0.41 ml O2.min-1.100 g LV-1. VO2 with St (n = 6) increased to 2.28 +/- 0.36 ml O2.min-1.100 g LV-1. VO2 in Ca(2+)-free Tyrode solution irrespective of St was nearly equal to VO2 without St in normal Tyrode solution, indicating that all these VO2 correspond to basal metabolic VO2. The increment in VO2 by St (delta VO2) increased up to twice normal with the extracellular Ca2+ concentration up to 4 times normal. Inhibition of cross-bridge cycling by 2,3-butanedione monoxime (5 and 10 mM) did not decrease delta VO2. These results suggest that delta VO2 consists of VO2 primarily for excitation-contraction coupling but not for cross-bridge cycling.

Animals↗

Constancy and variability of contractile efficiency as a function of calcium and cross-bridge kinetics: simulation.

We simulated myocardial Ca2+ (Ca) and cross-bridge (CB) kinetics to get insight into the experimentally observed constancy and variability of cardiac contractile efficiency in generating total mechanical energy under various inotropic and pathological conditions. The simulation consisted of a Ca transient, Ca association and dissociation rate constants of troponin C, and CB on and off rate constants. We evaluated sarcomere isometric twitch contractions at a constant muscle length. We assumed that each CB cycle hydrolyzes one ATP and that the force-length area (FLA) quantifies the total mechanical energy generated by CB cycles in a twitch contraction. FLA is a linear version of pressure-volume area, which quantifies the total mechanical energy of cardiac twitch contraction and correlates linearly with cardiac oxygen consumption (H. Suga, Physiol. Rev. 70: 247-277, 1990). The simulation shows that the contractile efficiency varies with changes in the Ca transient and Ca and CB kinetics except when they simultaneously speed up or slow down proportionally. These results point to possible mechanisms underlying the constancy and variability of cardiac contractile efficiency.

Animals↗

Left ventricular volumetric conductance catheter for rats.

Left ventricular (LV) volume (V) is an essential parameter for assessment of the cardiac pump function. Measurement of LVV in situ by a conductance catheter method has been widely used in dogs and humans but not yet in small experimental animals such as rats. We instituted a miniaturized six-electrode conductance catheter (3-F) for rat LVV measurement and its signal processing apparatus. We compared stroke volumes (SVs) simultaneously measured with this conductance catheter introduced into the LV through the apex and an electromagnetic flow probe placed on the ascending aorta during gradual decreases in LVV by an inferior vena caval occlusion. A high and linear correlation (r = 0.982) was obtained between these differently measured by SVs pooled from six rats. In another group of three rats, LV pressure was simultaneously measured with a 3-F catheter-tip micromanometer introduced into the LV through the apex. We obtained the slope of the end-systolic pressure-volume (P-V) relationship (Emax) by a gradual ascending aortic occlusion. After administration of propranolol, Emax obviously decreased with no change in volume intercept of the P-V relationship. The conductance volumetry proved to be useful in rats.

Animals↗