In a preceding paper, we employed an initially spherical, modified membrane model of the infarcted ventricle to investigate the relation between ventricular function and both infarct size and infarct stiffness. In the present paper, we have applied the same model to a set of different questions, namely, the consequences of enhanced or depressed inotropic state within the noninfarcted myocardium...

Although ATP, acting through a P2 purinoceptor, can stimulate a pronounced positive inotropic effect in cardiac ventricular myocytes, the receptor-effector mechanism that underlies this stimulatory cardiac action is not well understood. The objectives of the present study were to develop the cultured chick embryo ventricular myocytes as a novel model for the cardiac P2 purinoceptor and to deter...

Although there is increasing recognition that all inotropic agents are not alike, they continue to be viewed in the generic sense because of the lack of a classification system. Analogous to the classification system proposed for the antiarrhythmic agents over 20 years ago, a classification system is proposed that categorizes inotropic agents according to their mechanisms of action. Agents are ...

The appropriateness of inotropic therapy in chronic heart failure was examined by critically reviewing five assumptions upon which this form of therapy has been justified. Only the first, that cardiac performance can be acutely improved by inotropic therapy, has been empirically proven. That such acute improvement is sustained appears to be true with non-catecholamine agents whereas the chronic...

It has been reported that some of H1 receptor antagonists have important effects on cardiovascular system. Terfenadine as a non-sedative H1 receptor antagonist has an arrhythmogenic activity. In this study we have shown the effects of four antihistamine drugs: terfenadine, loratadine, clemastine and diphenhydramine, on the rate and contractions of isolated rat atria. Terfenadine (1-10 µM) cause...

Traditionally, impedance derived measures of cardiac autonomic balance (CAB) and regulation (CAR) are calculated using indices heart rate variability (HRV) that primarily reflect parasympathetic nervous system activity (e.g., high-frequency HRV | HF-HRV) pre-ejection period (PEP; a systolic time interval measure sympathetic activity). However, HF-HRV PEP considered chronotropic inotropic influe...

A 67-years old woman with no cardiac past history was presented postoperatively after elective surgery for pertrochanteric femur fracture with dyspnea, hypotension, pulmonary congestion, oliguria and tachycardia. Cardiogenic shock was suspected and she was transferred to the Coronary Care Unit (CCU) and treated as such with diuretic and an inotropic agent. No improvement occurred and her condit...