Ventricular function and morphology in chick embryo from stages 18 to 29.

We evaluated wet and dry ventricular and embryo weights, hemodynamic parameters of ventricular function, and myocardial myocyte organelle composition in the developing chick embryo. Phasic and dP/dt ventricular pressure were measured with a servo null pressure system, and phasic, mean, and dV/dt dorsal aortic velocities were measured with a 20-MHz pulsed-Doppler meter. Ventricular and embryo weight increased geometrically with development, but at different rates, so that the ventricle-to-embryo weight ratio decreased from 0.02 to 0.001 just prior to hatching. Ventricular systolic and end-diastolic pressure increased from 1.31 +/- 0.05/0.33 +/- 0.03 mmHg at stage 18 to 3.45 +/- 0.10/0.82 +/- 0.03 mmHg at stage 29, while dP/dt increased from 23.04 +/- 1.32 to 79.55 +/- 3.69 mmHg/s over the same period. Dorsal aortic dV/dt increased from 878 +/- 17 to 2.076 +/- 65 mm/s2 from stage 18 to 29. Myocyte percent volume of myofibrils increased from 16.7 +/- 0.9% at stage 18 to 23.6 +/- 1.1% at stage 27 and diminished to 18.4 +/- 0.8% at stage 29. Mitochondrial percent myocyte volume remained constant at about 11%. These data define the parameters of normal ventricular function and morphology during embryonic development in the chick.