Normal cardiac myosin ATPase and mechanics in pressure overload with digitalis treatment.

Cardiac muscle myosin ATPase activity is depressed and contractile function impaired when the heart is subjected to a chronic pressure overload. Administering digitalis in the presence of chronic pressure overload significantly attenuates the decline in mechanical function. The current study sought to determine if the cardiac muscle myosin ATPase activity of cats treated with digitalis in the presence of pressure overload remains normal in parallel with the mechanical function. Four groups of cats were studied: normal controls (C), animals with pressure-overload hypertrophy with or without failure (HF), normal cats that received treatment with digitalis (D), and animals that received digitalis prior to and together with pressure overload (DHF). Compared to C, the maximum myosin ATPase activity of HF was significantly (P less than 0.05) depressed, but the maximum ATPase activity of D and DHF was not altered significantly (P greater than 0.05) from C. In parallel with the enzyme maximum activity, the papillary muscle isometric rate of force development was significantly (P less than 0.005) depressed in HF compared to C; D and DHF were not significantly (P greater than 0.05) different from C. It is concluded that the depression of myosin ATPase observed in HF is not present when digitalis is administered concomitant with the pressure overload.