Pericardium modulates left and right ventricular stroke volumes to compensate for sudden changes in atrial volume

The pericardium may modulate acute compensatory changes in stroke volumes seen with sudden changes in cardiac volume, but such a mechanism has never been clearly demonstrated. In eight open-chest dogs, we measured left and right ventricular pressures, diameters, stroke volumes, and pericardial pressures during rapid (approximately 300 ms) systolic infusions or withdrawals of approximately 25 ml blood into and out of the left atrium and right atrium. Control beats, the infusion/withdrawal beat, and 4-10 subsequent beats were studied. With infusions, ipsilateral ventricular end-diastolic transmural pressure, diameter, and stroke volume increased. With the pericardium closed, there was a compensatory decrease in contralateral transmural pressure, diameter, and stroke volume, mediated by opposite changes in transmural end-diastolic pressures. The sum of the ipsilateral increase and contralateral decrease in stroke volume approximated the infused volume. Corresponding changes were seen with blood withdrawals. This direct ventricular interaction was diminished when pericardial pressure was <5 mmHg and absent when the pericardium was opened. Pericardial constraint appears essential for immediate biventricular compensatory responses to acute atrial volume changes.