Effects of active shortening on tension development of rabbit papillary muscle

Duration and intensity of force development have been shown to be less during active muscle shortening than during isometric contraction. The purpose of this study was to compare force developed during controlled shortening with that predicted by the Frank-Starling relation. Paillary muscles from the right ventricles of rabbits were arranged for isometric tension recording, and isometric contractions were recorded at several lengths. The muscles were then permitted to shorten at velocities of 0.2--6 mm/s, shortening beginning 150--200 ms after the stimulus. Length-tension-time curves constructed from the isometric contractions were used to determine predicted shortening tension (Pp), which was compared with actual tension during shortening (Ps) at corresponding times and lengths. Ps was significantly less than Pp and the ratio Ps/Pp decreased with increasing velocity of shortening. The decrease in Ps/Pp was directly related to the duration of shortening (P less than 0.001), suggesting that the fall of shortening tension reflected both the Hill force-velocity relation and shortening deactivation.