Inotropic effects of ryanodine and calcium antagonists on embryonic and hatched chick myocardium

Effects of extracellular Ca2+ and inotropic agents on contractile force were examined in myocardial preparations from embryonic and hatched chicks. Measurement of contractile force was performed in an organ bath with whole hearts for the young embryo (5 to 6 days old) and with isolated strips from the right ventricles for the old embryos (16 to 18 days old), hatched chicks (within 24 hours after hatching) and 1 week old chicks. The extracellular Ca2+ concentration-contractile force curve was in a lower concentration range in young embryonic hearts when compared with older ones. 2 mM Ca2+ and 8 mM Ca2+ produced about 60% maximum contraction in preparations from young embryos and the older ages, respectively. The sensitivity to nicardipine and diltiazem was similar among all ages examined under 2 mM Ca2+. When the two drugs were applied to preparations from the older ages under 8 mM Ca2+, the sensitivity was lower than that of the young embryo under 2 mM Ca2+. Ryanodine produced a negative inotropic response at all ages but the effect was smaller in the young embryo when compared with those of older ages. Mn2+ produced a negative inotropic effect at all ages. In the older three ages, Mn2+ produced a late augmentation of the contractile force in addition to the initial negative inotropic response, while such augmentation was not observed in the young embryo. In conclusion, the chick myocardium was shown to undergo developmental changes in excitation-contraction mechanisms including increase in sarcoplasmic reticulum function during the embryonic period, and thus provides an interesting model for studies on excitation-contraction mechanisms.