Myocardial contractility and ventricular myosin isoenzymes as influenced by cardiac hypertrophy and its regression.

Changes in myocardial contractility and ventricular myosin isoenzymes were examined during pressure-overloaded cardiac hypertrophy in rats. Effects of regression of cardiac hypertrophy were also examined. Cardiac hypertrophy was induced by abdominal aortic constriction in 7-week-old male Wistar rats. Regression of cardiac hypertrophy was obtained by opening the aortic band. Myocardial contractility was estimated by measuring isometrically developed tension and maximum rate of tension rise (+dT/dtmax) in isolated left-ventricular papillary muscles perfused with Tyrode solution (32 degrees C, pH 7.4, bubbled with 95% O2.5% CO2, stimulation frequency: 0.2 Hz). Left-ventricular myosin isoenzymes were separated by pyrophosphate gel electrophoresis and the isoenzyme pattern was determined by densitometry. Isometrically developed tension (T) in hypertrophic myocardium remained unchanged, but +/-dT/dtmax decreased as compared with hearts of normal rats. Decreased +/-dT/dtmax recovered near to the level in normal rats by regression of cardiac hypertrophy. Left-ventricular myosin isoenzyme pattern shifted towards VM-3 in hypertrophied myocardium and shifted again toward VM-1 by regression of cardiac hypertrophy. In conclusion, myocardial contractility and ventricular myosin isoenzymes were changed in pressure-overloaded hypertrophy in rats and these changes were reversible to a normal level by regression of cardiac hypertrophy.