Cardiac contractility and sarcolemmal calcium binding in several cardiac muscle preparations

Striking correlations are found between cardiac contractility and Ca2+ binding to isolated cardiac sarcolemma in rabbit, neonatal rat, and frog ventricular tissue. Deviations from this correlation are seen in the adult rat ventricle and rabbit atrium. The observation of this correlation in the three former tissues and under various ionic conditions suggests that this correlation is not coincidental and that Ca2+ bound to the cardiac sarcolemma is of major importance in the control of myocardial contractility. The data are consistent with a functional Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release system in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of all the tissues (which is controlled by Ca2+ entry from sarcolemmal sites), with the adult rat ventricular and rabbit atrial SR Ca2+ release being much more sensitive to CA2+. It is suggested that the frog, neonatal rat, and rabbit ventricles depend more directly on the entry of Ca2+ from sarcolemmal sites for the control of tension development, whereas the adult rat ventricle and rabbit atrium depend to a greater extent on CA2+ released from the SR.