[Myocardial ultrastructure in the presence of assisted circulation].

Experiments were conducted on dogs; a study was made of the influence of a method of assisted circulation--contrapulsation, on the myocardial ultrastructure. A sharp glycogen accumulation in the muscle cells of the heart, the presence of mitochondria with a marked osmophilic microgranular matrix, and also a high pinocytic activity of the capillary endothelial cells were revealed by electron microscopy. The data obtained pointed to the metabolic reconstruction in the myocardium, and primarily to the reduction of the energy level of the myocardial muscle cell function. The changes in the myocardial ultrastructure revealed apparently provided the positive therapeutic effect.