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T W Taylor

Publications and source records attributed to T W Taylor.

35 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Myocardial mechanics and the Fenn effect determined from a cardiac muscle crossbridge model.

A three-element cardiac muscle fibre model, utilising Huxley's sliding filament theory for the contractile element and coupled with parallel and series elastic components, was simulated to see if it were possible to predict the cardiac Fenn effect. The force/length energy (FLE) was computed in both isometric and isotonic contractions, as a function of muscle fibre length (preload) in the isometric case and afterload in the isotonic contraction case. Simulation results demonstrated that isotonic contractions produced a greater FLE than isometric contractions at every corresponding afterload, with the difference being equal to the work produced in the isotonic case, which is characteristic of the Fenn effect. The maximum energy utilisation was observed at maximum force isometric contractions, as has been experimentally observed in cardiac muscle. Changing the stiffness of the series elastic component did not change the Fenn-effect behaviour. Fenn-effect plots using crossbridge energy predictions showed behaviour similar to the FLE plots, but the FLE: crossbridge energy ratio declined with decreasing force even though the efficiency has been experimentally found to be constant.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1993

Comparison of the cardiac force-time integral with energetics using a cardiac muscle model.

Several investigators have found experimentally that the force-time integral varies non-linearly with energy expenditure over the course of a cardiac contraction. Also, recent research findings have indicated that the crossbridge cycle to ATP hydrolysis ratio in muscle fiber systems may not be coupled with a one-to-one ratio. In order to investigate these findings, Huxley's sliding filament crossbridge muscle model coupled with parallel and series elastic components was simulated to examine the behavior of the crossbridge energy utilization and force-time integral vs time. Crossbridge (CB) energy utilization was determined by considering the ATP hydrolysis for the crossbridge cycling, and this CB energy was compared with the force-length energy in a contraction. This CB energy was calculated in both isometric and isotonic contractions as a function of contraction time and compared to the force-time integral. Simulation results demonstrated that the ratio of the force-time integral to CB energy varies strongly throughout the cardiac cycle for both isometric and isotonic cases, as has been observed experimentally. Simulations also showed that using the force-length energy component of energy vs the CB energy gave a better correlation between the total energetic predictions and the force-time integral, agreeing with recent finding that the crossbridge cycle to ATP hydrolysis ratio may not be coupled one-to-one, especially at lower force levels.

Actins↗
PubMed1993

Coupling between regional myocardial oxygen consumption and contraction under altered preload and afterload.

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to assess the relation between left ventricular regional myocardial oxygen consumption (VO2) and variables of regional myocardial contractile function under various loading conditions. BACKGROUND: Although the relation between global VO2 and global ventricular function has been extensively studied, the relation between regional VO2 and regional myocardial contraction is not fully understood. METHODS: Myocardial shortening (regional area shrinkage), regional work, regional total mechanical energy index and regional VO2 were measured under variously altered loading conditions in the isolated, blood-perfused dog left ventricle. Regional total mechanical energy per beat was quantified by wall tension-regional area area (TAA) by the analogy of left ventricular pressure-volume area. Left ventricular loading conditions were altered by changing end-diastolic volume and stroke volume with a servo pump as follows: 1) increased preload (increased end-diastolic volume and stroke volume at a constant ejection fraction), 2) decreased afterload (increased stroke volume at a constant end-diastolic volume), 3) increased preload and afterload (increased end-diastolic volume at a constant stroke volume), and 4) altered mode of contraction (ejecting vs. isovolumetric contractions). RESULTS: During increased preload, all three variables correlated positively with regional VO2 (r = 0.78 to 1.00). During decreased afterload, the correlation was negative for area shrinkage (r = -0.65 to -0.91) and variable for regional work (r = -0.55 to 0.98) but positive and highly linear for TAA (r = 0.80 to 0.99). During increased preload and afterload, the correlation was again negative for area shrinkage (r = -0.77 to -0.97) but positive for regional work (r = 0.83 to 0.93) and TAA (r = 0.95 to 0.99). During altered mode of contraction, the correlation was insignificant for area shrinkage (r = 0.24 to 0.57) and moderate for regional work (r = 0.50 to 0.79), whereas again highly linear for TAA (r = 0.95 to 0.98). Thus, only TAA correlated closely with regional VO2 under any loading conditions. Furthermore, the slope and regional VO2 intercept of the regional VO2-TAA relation was remarkably consistent among the different hearts and loading conditions. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that there is a tight coupling between regional VO2 and regional total mechanical energy represented by TAA regardless of left ventricular afterload and preload conditions.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Variable cross-bridge cycling-ATP coupling accounts for cardiac mechanoenergetics.

Cardiac twitch contractions were simulated by Huxley's sliding filament cross-bridge muscle model coupled with parallel and series elastic components. The energetics of the contraction were based on the ATP hydrolysis for the cross-bridge cycling. Force-length area (FLA), as a measure of the total mechanical energy, was computed for both isometric and isotonic contractions in a manner similar to the pressure-volume area (PVA) (Suga, H. Physiol. Rev. 70: 247-277, 1990). PVA correlates linearly with cardiac oxygen consumption, and since FLA is analogous to PVA, FLA should correlate with the ATP expended. Simulations comparing FLA with the cross-bridge cycling ATP usage showed that at lower muscle fiber activation levels (shorter initial fiber lengths and lower preload levels) FLA decreased more rapidly than the number of muscle fiber cross-bridge cycles in both isometric and isotonic contraction cases. This suggests that one ATP can cause more than one cross-bridge cycle at lower activation levels as was proposed by Yanagida, Arata, and Oosawa (Nature 316: 366-369, 1985). If the number of cross-bridge cycles to ATP ratio is allowed to increase at lower activation levels as suggested by Yanagida et al., Huxley's model is compatible with the experimental findings on FLA and PVA.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1993

Ventricular perspective on efficiency.

The heart has many efficiencies of different definitions, of which mechanical work efficiency is the most popular and conventional. We have proposed a method to quantify the total mechanical energy generated by ventricular contraction. This energy can be quantified as a specific area called "systolic pressure-volume area" or "PVA" in the ventricular pressure-volume diagram. In the left ventricle of excised, cross-circulated dog heart preparations, we found a closely linear relation between PVA and oxygen consumption (VO2) under various loading conditions in a stable contractile state (Emax). An enhanced contractility was accompanied by an elevation of the load-independent VO2-PVA relation in a parallel manner, where the elevation was proportional to Emax. The slope of the VO2-PVA relation represents the "oxygen cost of mechanical energy (or PVA)" and its reciprocal indicates the "contractile efficiency", i.e., the energy conversion efficiency from PVA-dependent VO2 to PVA. This efficiency was 40% on the average, independent of various inotropic interventions. The slope of the PVA-independent VO2-Emax relation represents the "oxygen cost of contractility (or Emax)". This cost was relatively constant for different inotropic interventions except for myocardial cooling and stunning. We considered the discrepancy between the stable contractile efficiency and the variable thermal economy of force generation and maintenance.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Ejecting volume, filling volume and stroke volume gains: new indexes of inotropism and lusitropism.

We propose new indexes to evaluate the effects of ventricular inotropism and lusitropism on stroke volume. The end-systolic pressure-volume relationship (ESPVR) or its slope (Emax) has been employed to assess ventricular inotropism. The end-diastolic pressure-volume relationship (EDPVR) or compliance has been used to express ventricular diastolic properties or lusitropism. However, their net effect on stroke volume under a given set of preload and afterload pressures has not quantitatively been evaluated. Ejecting volume gain (Ge) was proposed to quantify the inotropic effect on stroke volume by the change in end-systolic volume between the two ESPVR curves obtained before and during an inotropic intervention at a specified ejecting pressure. Ge is a function of afterload pressure. Filling volume gain (Gf) was proposed to quantify the lusitropic effect on stroke volume by the change in end-diastolic volume between the two EDPVR curves before and during a lusitropic intervention at a specified filling pressure. Gf is a function of preload pressure. The net effect of these inotropic and lusitropic effects on stroke volume at these specified preload and afterload pressures can be expressed by the sum of Ge and Gf. We call this sum stroke volume gain (Gsv). Gsv is a function of preload and afterload pressures. Using representative examples, we demonstrate that these new indexes are conceptually useful to quantitatively understand changes in the pumping ability of the heart under simultaneous inotropic and lusitropic effects as a function of ejecting and filling pressures.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Cardiac muscle fiber force versus length determined by a cardiac muscle crossbridge model.

A mathematical model incorporating Huxley's sliding filament crossbridge muscle model coupled with parallel and series elastic components was simulated to examine force-length relations under different external calcium concentrations. Several researchers have determined experimentally in both papillary muscle preparations and in situ heart experiments that the calcium concentration (or effective concentration from inotropic agents) will affect the strength and convexity of the cardiac muscle fiber force-length relations. Simulations were performed over a several-order-of-magnitude range of calcium concentrations in isometric contractions and these showed that the force-length curve convexity was changed. Simulation results demonstrated that increasing the stiffness in the model contractile element or series elasticity element did not change the force-length convexity. Increasing the series elasticity element stiffness did slightly change the shape of the force-length curve. The model predicts that the curve convexity changes as a result of the calcium-troponin interactions.

Calcium↗
PubMed1992

Mechanoenergetic effects of pimobendan in canine left ventricles. Comparison with dobutamine.

BACKGROUND: We hypothesized that the effect of pimobendan (UD-CG 115 BS) to increase calcium sensitivity of contractile protein might result in less myocardial oxygen consumption (VO2) in comparison with dobutamine when they enhance ventricular contractility to the same extent. To examine this hypothesis, we compared the effects of pimobendan and dobutamine on left ventricular contractility and energetics using the frameworks of Emax (contractility index) and the relation between VO2 and PVA (systolic pressure-volume area, a measure of left ventricular total mechanical energy). METHODS AND RESULTS: We measured VO2, Emax, PVA, and force-time integral (FTI) in excised, cross-circulated, nonfailing dog hearts. The slope of the VO2-PVA relation reciprocally indicates the efficiency from PVA-dependent VO2 to the total mechanical energy (contractile efficiency). The VO2 intercept of the VO2-PVA relation, i.e., PVA-independent VO2, reflects energy utilization for excitation-contraction coupling. The ratio of FTI to PVA-dependent VO2 can be called contractile economy. Both drugs comparably enhanced Emax. Although the contractile economy was greater by 14 +/- 19% (p less than 0.05) for pimobendan than for dobutamine, the contractile efficiency was similar between the two drugs. Oxygen cost of contractility, defined as the slope of the relation between the PVA-independent VO2 and Emax, was the same between the two drugs. Other mechanoenergetic effects of both drugs were similar except for a greater coronary vasodilating effect of pimobendan. CONCLUSIONS: Pimobendan has almost the same mechanoenergetic effects as dobutamine but slightly greater contractile economy and coronary vasodilation. The calcium-sensitizing effect of pimobendan did not save the oxygen cost of contractility.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Constant efficiency versus variable economy of cardiac contraction.

An intriguing aspect of cardiac mechanoenergetics is the smaller variability of the contractile efficiency than the energy economy of force. We theoretically speculated about this dissociation by relating the mechanical efficiency with Po/a (the curvature of the force-velocity curve) in Hill's characteristic equation of muscle; Po/a is known to change with the energy economy and inversely with Vmax and myosin ATPase activity. The analysis showed that the variability is smaller for the mechanical efficiency than for Po/a and that the energy economy changes approximately with (Po/a)3. These theoretical relations may partly explain the small variability of the empirically observed contractile efficiency under various experimental conditions which are known to widely change the energy economy.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Myocardial efficiency and economy in Huxley's 1957 crossbridge model.

In cardiac muscle and the heart, the maximum mechanical efficiency is relatively constant (15-25%) under various acute and chronic inotropic interventions, whereas the economy of isometric force development varies by 2-4 times with these interventions. We speculated about this discrepancy using Huxley's 1957 crossbridge model. Our theoretical derivation showed that the economy is proportional to the product of the thermodynamic efficiency (w/e in Huxley's notation) and the reciprocal of the rate constant of crossbridge detachment in the forward position (g1 in Huxley's notation): (w/e) (1/g1). The w/e value is the maximum limit of the mechanical efficiency. This w/e value has been assumed to be 0.75 for fast contracting skeletal muscle and 0.95 for slow contracting skeletal muscle; a 1.3-fold difference. Representative g1 values are 6/s for the fast skeletal muscle and 0.12/s for the slow skeletal muscle; a 50-fold difference. These differences in w/e and g1 between the fast and slow skeletal muscles predict that the economy would change by 65 (= 1.3 x 50) times while the efficiency changes by only 1.3 times. Extrapolation of this relation to fast and slow contracting cardiac muscles suggests that only a 4-fold change in the economy, which is the observed maximum difference between the rat or rabbit hypo- and hyperthyroid myocardium, would be associated with only a less than 10% change in the maximum mechanical efficiency.

Isometric Contraction↗
PubMed1982

In-vivo comparison of the adsorption capacity of "superactive charcoal" and fructose with activated charcoal and fructose.

This study was undertaken to assess the in-vivo capacity of two activated charcoal products to adsorb aspirin after its ingestion by seven healthy volunteers. The two products, Norit-A and Super-Sorb, were combined with fructose solution and administered after the subjects ingested 975 mg of aspirin. Urinary excretion of salicylates was measured during both charcoal administration phases and after ingestion of aspirin alone in all subjects. Results showed statistically significant differences in salicylate excretion between all phases. Super-Sorb ("superactive charcoal") adsorbed almost twice (1.7) as much as aspirin as the regular activated charcoal, Norit-A. Super-Sorb therefore has a greater in-vivo adsorption capacity for aspirin and should be a more effective antidote in poisonings with this drug.

Adjuvants, Pharmaceutic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Flow patterns in three-dimensional left ventricular systolic and diastolic flows determined from computational fluid dynamics.

A realistic model of the left ventricle of the heart was previously constructed, using a cast from a dog heart which was in diastole. Previous studies of the three-dimensional heart model were conducted in systole only. The purpose of this investigation was to extend the model to both systole and diastole, and to determine what the effect of a previous cardiac cycle was on the next cardiac cycle. The 25.8 cc ventricular volume was reduced by 40% in 0.25 seconds, then increased to the original volume in another 0.25 seconds and then allowed to rest for 0.25 seconds. Runs done with an ejection fraction of 60% showed little variation from one cardiac cycle to another after the third cardiac cycle was completed; the maximum velocity could vary by over 30% between the first and second cardiac cycles. In systole, centerline and cross-sectional velocity vectors greatly increased in magnitude at the aortic outlet. Most of the pressure drop occurred in the top 15% of the heart. The diastolic phase showed complex vortex formation not seen in the systolic contractions; these complex vortices could account for experimentally observed turbulent blood flow fluctuations in the aorta.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Three-dimensional visualization of air flow in infant incubators using computational fluid mechanics.

An application of three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid mechanics to the air flow in infant incubators is presented. The air flows in two numerical models were simulated by directly solving the Navier-Stokes equations for incompressible gases. The method used was a finite-volume method incorporating a body-fitted coordinate system. The basic model was based on a real infant incubator, which was slightly simplified and included a model of a baby. The number of computation grids was 56 (width) x 21 (depth) x 21 (height) = 24,696. There were several very-large-scale eddies in the incubator free space. In addition to the global structure, small-scale eddies were shown to be produced at many locations scattered in the free space. From these results, it is evident that the conventional assumption of steady and uniform flows in incubators is not always justified when considering heat loss from the body of a baby in an incubator.

Air Movements↗