Cardiac quick-release contraction mechanoenergetics analysis using a cardiac muscle cross-bridge model

Huxley's sliding filament cross-bridge muscle model coupled with parallel and series elastic components was simulated to examine the conflicting reports on the amount of energy saved by quick release at the peak contraction time. Cross-bridge energy utilization was determined by considering the ATP hydrolysis for the cross-bridge cycling. The quick-release cases were simulated by letting the muscle fiber suddenly shorten to the resting fiber length at peak systole, and then the contraction was allowed to continue at the resting length. Simulation results demonstrated that, using realistic parameter values, typically approximately 15% of the muscle fiber energy is used after peak systole (and approximately 30% of the cross-bridge energy), but this is also a function of the muscle fiber properties characterized by cross-bridge association and dissociation rate constants. Increasing the kinetic rate constants, the series elasticity, the initial fiber length, or the time of peak intracellular calcium will increase the amount of energy left, which may explain some of the discrepancies in the literature. Cardiac muscle hypertrophy will increase the fraction of muscle fiber energy left after peak systole to approximately 30%. The strongest indicator of the percent energy left at peak systole was the time the fiber reached peak systole, and as the fiber reached peak systole faster, the amount of energy saved by quick release increased.