Effects of milrinone on contractility of the rat diaphragm in vitro

We studied the effects of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor, milrinone, on isometric force production in the isolated, directly stimulated rat diaphragm. Milrinone (500 micrograms/ml) significantly increased force during twitch stimulation and submaximal tetanic stimulation (p less than 0.05); force during maximal tetanic stimulation was significantly reduced by milrinone (p less than 0.05). The force-augmenting effects of milrinone were not abolished by pretreatment with indomethacin (10(-5)M). Baseline force production decreased when diaphragmatic strips were placed in a calcium-free bathing solution; force potentiation by milrinone, however, persisted in this medium. Pretreatment with milrinone more than doubled the mean time to fatigue (10.8 +/- 1.0 versus 5.1 +/- 0.6 min) during repetitive submaximal stimulation (p less than 0.01). In diaphragmatic strips fatigued by repetitive submaximal stimulation until force production was 60% of baseline, milrinone promptly improved force production; the magnitude of force potentiation after milrinone was quite similar in fresh and fatigued muscle. In conclusion, milrinone enhances diaphragmatic contractility during the most forms of direct stimulation, and delays and reverses diaphragmatic fatigue.