Effect of altered thyroid status on in vitro cardiac performance in rats

Effect of a chronic excess or deficit of thyroid hormone on intrinsic myocardial performance in rats was assessed. Animals were thyroidectomized or treated with thyroid hormone or vehicle 6-7 wk before the study. Body weight and heart weight were decreased in the hypothyroid group, and heart weight was elevated in the hyperthyroid group. Hearts were removed from thyroidectomized, euthyroid or thyroid-treated animals and studied as isolated, perfused working heart preparations. Ventricular function curves were generated by increasing left atrial filling pressure, whereas outflow resistance was not varied. Coronary flow, aortic outflow (and thus cardiac output), heart rate, and peak aortic systolic pressure were measured as a function of preload. These studies showed that performance of hearts from hyperthyroid animals was similar to that of euthyroid controls. Hearts from hypothyroid rats had decreased rate, pressure, and cardiac output but normal stroke volume. Since heart weight was 55% lower than control, normalization of volume work to dry heart weight reversed the difference in cardiac output. Comparison of hearts from hypothyroid animals to control rats of similar weight showed minimal differences in pump function. Thus hyperthyroidism did not result in altered in vitro cardiac output or peak systolic pressure as a function of changing preload when compared with age-matched euthyroid controls, hypothyroidism resulted in a decreased in vitro heart rate but greater cardiac output normalized to heart weight when compared with age-matched controls and hyperthyroid animals; external pacing of hypothyroid hearts yielded myocardial work parameters that were comparable to euthyroid control rats of similar body weight; and cardiac efficiency was significantly greater in hypothyroid hearts than in hyperthyroid hearts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)