Cardiac intracellular and blood electrolytes in chronic mitral insufficiency

A study of the alterations in the intracellular electrolytes in the left failing heart due to induced mitral insufficiency was made in dogs. The extracellular space increased significantly. There was no significant change in the plasma Na+ and Ca++. However, there was a significant decrease in the plasma K+. The ratio of wet weight to dry weight increased during mitral insufficiency, although not significantly. There were no significant changes in the tissue Na+, K+ and Ca++. However, there were significant decreases in the intracellular Na+ and Ca++, and tendency for an increase in the intracellular K+ during mitral insufficiency. These results suggest that the decrease in the myocardial contractility in chronic heart failure due to mitral insufficiency might be due to a decrease in the intracellular Ca++ and associated changes in Na+ and K+ as a result of increased sarcolemmal ATPase.