Related Experiment Videos
Mechanics of Relaxation of the Human Heart
Denis Chemla1, Catherine Coirault, Jean-Louis Hébert
1Service de Physiologie Cardio-Respiratoire, CHU de Bicêtre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 94 275 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, and Unité Inserm U451-Loa-Ensta-Ecole Polytechnique, 91 125 Palaiseau, France.
Abstract:
Rapid and complete relaxation is a prerequisite for cardiac output adaptation to changes in loading conditions, inotropic stimulation, and heart rate. In the healthy human heart, the rate and extent of relaxation depend mainly on actomyosin cross bridge dissociation and on left ventricular end-systolic volume, rather than on the afterload level.