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M A Dijkman

Publications and source records attributed to M A Dijkman.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Decrease in coronary vascular volume in systole augments cardiac contraction.

Coronary arterial inflow is impeded and venous outflow is increased as a result of the decrease in coronary vascular volume due to cardiac contraction. We evaluated whether cardiac contraction is influenced by interfering with the changes of the coronary vascular volume over the heart cycle. Length-tension relationships were determined in Tyrode-perfused rat papillary muscle and when coronary vascular volume changes were partly inhibited by filling it with congealed gelatin or perfusing it with a high viscosity dextran buffer. Also, myocyte thickening during contraction was reduced by placing a silicon tube around the muscle. Increasing perfusion pressure from 8 to 80 cmH2O, increased developed tension by approximately 40%. When compared with the low perfusion state, developed tension of the gelatin-filled vasculature was reduced to 43 +/- 6% at the muscle length where the muscle generates the largest developed tension (n = 5, means +/- SE). Dextran reduced developed tension to 73 +/- 6% (n = 6). The silicon tube, in low perfusion state, reduced the developed tension to 83 +/- 7% (n = 4) of control. Time-control and oxygen-lowering experiments show that the findings are based on mechanical effects. Thus interventions to prevent myocyte thickening reduce developed tension. We hypothesize that when myocyte thickening is prevented, intracellular pressure increases and counteracts the force produced by the contractile apparatus. We conclude that emptying of the coronary vasculature serves a physiological purpose by facilitating cardiomyocyte thickening thereby augmenting force development.

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Perfusion-induced changes in cardiac contractility depend on capillary perfusion.

The perfusion-induced increase in cardiac contractility (Gregg phenomenon) is especially found in heart preparations that lack adequate coronary autoregulation and thus protection of changes in capillary pressure. We determined in the isolated perfused papillary muscle of the rat whether cardiac muscle contractility is related to capillary perfusion. Oxygen availability of this muscle is independent of internal perfusion, and perfusion may be varied or even stopped without loss of function. Muscles contracted isometrically at 27 degrees C (n = 7). During the control state stepwise increases in perfusion pressure resulted in all muscles in a significant increase in active tension. Muscle diameter always increased with increased perfusion pressure, but muscle segment length was unaffected. Capillary perfusion was then obstructed by plastic microspheres (15 microns). Flow, at a perfusion pressure of 66.6 +/- 26.2 cmH2O, reduced from 17.6 +/- 5.4 microliters/min in the control state to 3.2 +/- 1.3 microliters/min after microspheres. Active tension developed by the muscle in the unperfused condition before microspheres and after microspheres did not differ significantly (-12.8 +/- 29.4% change). After microspheres similar perfusion pressure steps as in control never resulted in an increase in active tension. Even at the two highest perfusion pressures (89.1 +/- 28.4 and 106.5 +/- 31.7 cmH2O) that were applied a significant decrease in active tension was found. We conclude that the Gregg phenomenon is related to capillary perfusion.

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Reoxygenated effluent of Tyrode-perfused heart affects papillary muscle contraction independent of cardiac perfusion.

OBJECTIVE: We determined, via a bioassay, if inotropic factors are released in the coronary circulation of the rat heart and if changes in cardiac perfusion change papillary muscle inotropy. METHODS: An isolated isometrically contracting rat papillary muscle (n = 5, acceptor) was superfused with Tyrode or with reoxygenated coronary venous effluent from an isolated isovolumically beating rat heart (donor) at 27 degrees C, which was perfused with Tyrode according to Langendorff. The superfusion solution in the muscle bath was exchanged completely in 90 s. During coronary venous effluent superfusion, the flow of the heart (donor) was changed in steps. RESULTS: The peak force of the papillary muscle (acceptor) was unaffected by a change from Tyrode to coronary venous effluent superfusion, but time to half relaxation (RT 1/2) significantly increased by 23.0 +/- 9.0% (mean +/- s.d.) and positive dF/dtmax significantly decreased by 14.6 +/- 4.7%. These twitch characteristics were unaffected by changes in coronary perfusion while in the heart isovolumic developed left ventricular pressure did increase with perfusion (the Gregg phenomenon). CONCLUSIONS: Factors that affected papillary muscle contractility are released into the coronary circulation, but their effect is independent of the magnitude of coronary perfusion.

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Perfusion-induced changes in cardiac contractility and oxygen consumption are not endothelium-dependent.

OBJECTIVE: Are substances released from rat coronary endothelial cells responsible for the increase in contractility and oxygen consumption (Gregg phenomenon) seen with an increase in cardiac perfusion? METHODS: In an isovolumically contracting, Langendorff, crystalloid perfused rat heart (n = 6) at 27 degrees C, coronary flow was changed (from 4.4 to 15.4 ml.min-1.gww(-1)) before and after the endothelium was made dysfunctional by Triton X-100. Vascular endothelium and smooth muscle function were tested with bradykinin (BK, 1 microM, an endothelium-dependent dilator) and papaverine (PAP, 1 microM, an endothelium-independent dilator) in a preconstricted vascular bed (vasopressin, VP, 3 nM). RESULTS: Before Triton X-100, coronary resistance (at constant flow) decreased significantly in response to BK and to PAP. After Triton X-100 treatment the dilatory response to BK was abolished while the PAP response was still present, suggesting endothelial dysfunction with intact smooth muscle function. Due to Triton X-100 treatment, coronary resistance increased significantly. Therefore coronary flow changes were also applied during a similar increase in coronary resistance induced by VP infusion (3 nM) before Triton X-100 treatment. During control, developed left ventricular pressure (dev Plv) increased with 68 +/- 21% and oxygen consumption (VO2) increased with 122 +/- 25% in response to the maximal increase in coronary flow. During increased coronary resistance with and without functional endothelium, dev Plv increased by 57 +/- 16 and 64 +/- 22%, respectively, and VO2 increased by 126 +/- 21 and 103 +/- 20%, respectively, in response to the maximal increase in flow. These changes were not significantly different from control. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the arterial endothelium is not involved in the Gregg phenomenon.

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Perfusion-induced changes in cardiac O2 consumption and contractility are based on different mechanisms.

Increased cardiac perfusion results in increased oxygen consumption (VO2) and increased contractility (Gregg phenomenon) in the isolated heart. We investigated whether these two aspects of the Gregg phenomenon are related to coronary flow or arterial pressure. Coronary flow and, thus, arterial pressure were changed in the reference state and during vasoconstriction (3 nM vasopressin) in the Langendorff-perfused rat heart contracting isovolumically (ventricular balloon) at 27 degrees C (n = 5). All hearts showed an increase in developed isovolumic left ventricular pressure (measure of contractility) and in VO2 with increased perfusion. Developed left ventricular pressure depended primarily on arterial pressure, so its relationship with coronary flow was shifted by vasoconstriction. Conversely, VO2 primarily depended on coronary flow, so its relationship with arterial pressure was shifted with vasoconstriction. By use of vasoconstriction (decreased vascular radii), the effects of arterial pressure and wall shear stress (proportional to arterial pressure x radius) should be separable, but the results did not reach significance. Thus contractility is related to arterial pressure or shear stress, whereas VO2 is related to coronary flow. We conclude that the two aspects of the Gregg phenomenon are based on different mechanisms.

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