Compensatory Changes of the Diastole under Conditions of Inflow Restriction to the Heart

This work was designed to study changes in the mechanical properties of rat myocardium during short-term (2-3 sec) compression of the lower vena cava. A catheter was inserted into the left ventricle, allowing simultaneous measurement of left-ventricular volume and pressure. The decrease in the left-ventricular end-diastolic volume caused by inflow restriction was accompanied by less pronounced decrease in the left-ventricular stroke volume and maximum rate of left-ventricular pressure development. This was coincided with accelerated relaxation and deeper fall of the minimum left-ventricular diastolic pressure. The lower was left-ventricular end-systolic volume, the greater was the degree of these changes. It is assumed that the "restoring force" that naturally appears under conditions of low filling of the left ventricle is determined by elastic N2B part of the titin molecule that is compressed during strong shortening of myofibrils and accelerates their return to the previous length during relaxation. As a result of better filling of the left ventricle, the heart can maintain left-ventricular stroke volume at the appropriate level.