Role of myocardial contractile status and relaxation in ventricular dysfunction during the transition of heart hypertrophy to failure

PURPOSE: To investigate the participation of contractile state and relaxation in cardiac muscle dysfunction during the transition from stable hypertrophy to cardiac decompensation in aging spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). METHODS: Isolated left ventricular papillary muscle function was studied in SHR with heart failure (SHR-F), in age-matched SHR without evidence of heart failure (SHR-NF), and in nonhypertensive controls Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). Muscles were analysed in isometric and isotonic contractions in Krebs-Henseleit solution with calcium concentration of 1.25 mM at 28 degrees C. RESULTS: Papillary muscles from SHR-F and SHR-NF demonstrated decreased active tension development and shortening velocity relative to normotensive WKY (p 0.05). CONCLUSION: These data suggest that the progression from stable hypertrophy to heart failure is associated with changes in the passive stiffness and is not related to depression of myocardial contractile function.