Relationship between postextrasystolic potentiation and slow-phase force-frequency response in guinea-pig ventricular myocardium.

Relationship between postextrasystolic potentiation and slow-phase force-frequency response in guinea-pig ventricular myocardium. Acta physiol. pol. 1985, 36 (2): 175-184. We investigated relationship between postextrasystolic potentiation (PESP) and a form of slow-phase force-frequency relation, namely the post-rest recovery of contractile force (CF). We found that although the degree of post-rest recovery of CF determines CF of the potentiated beats, PESP does not affect the time-course of post-rest recovery, even if it is sustained by means of paired stimulation. Moreover, PESP may be completely or almost completely inhibited by caffeine in 10 mmolar concentration, whereas post-rest recovery is not significantly affected by this drug. We conclude, that PESP and slow force-frequency relations are based on separate cellular mechanisms.