The intrinsic contractile properties of isolated cat papillary muscles and myocardial high energy phosphate stores were examined at three levels of thyroid activity and correlated with hemodynamic measurements in the intact animal. In addition, the relationship of thyroid state to endogenous norepinephrine stores and myocardial responsiveness to certain inotropic interventions were studied. In ...

The purpose of our study was to investigate the inotropic response to the endogenous agonist norepinephrine mediated through alpha-1 adrenoceptors and to compare this response to that mediated through beta-adrenoceptors in failing human ventricular myocardium. We studied ex vivo the inotropic effect of norepinephrine in isometrically contracting trabecular myocardium from both ventricles of exp...

The pathophysiological relationships of a myocardial depressant factor (MDF) present in the plasma of cats in hemorrhagic shock were studied. Aprotinin (Trasylol), an inhibitor of a variety of proteases including kallikrein and trypsin, prolonged survival of cats in postoligemic shock as well as prevented the appearance of MDF in the plasma. Trasylol did not alter the arterial blood pressure, v...

Cardiac safety remains the leading cause of drug development discontinuation. We developed a human cardiomyocyte-based model that has the potential to provide a predictive preclinical approach for simultaneously predicting drug-induced inotropic and pro-arrhythmia risk. Methods: Adult human primary cardiomyocytes from ethically consented organ donors were used to measure contractility transient...

BACKGROUND AVE0118 (2'-{[2-(4-Methoxy-phenyl)-acetylamino]-methyl}-biphenyl-2-carboxylic acid (2-pyridin-3-yl-ethyl)-amide) blocks atrial ultrarapid delayed rectifier currents (I(Kur)) and prolongs the atrial action potential (AP) plateau without affecting ventricular repolarisation. In patients with atrial contractile dysfunction due to atrial tachyarrhythmias, this response might increase atr...

To determine if cardiac tissue is capable of modulating its response to a stimulating hormone, we studied desensitization to the positive inotropic effect of catecholamines on embryonic chick ventricular tissue using a phase contrast microscope-video motion detector system and correlated the contractility findings with concurrent observations of /?-adrenergic receptor properties and adenylate c...

BACKGROUND In contrast to other beta-blockers, bucindolol has failed to reduce mortality in patients with chronic heart failure. It is currently debated whether this is due to partial agonist activity of this agent. We investigated whether conflicting results previously reported concerning the intrinsic activity of bucindolol can be explained by species differences or by different activation st...