Contraction activity of right heart ventricle and pulmonary haemodynamics in cytotoxic cardiogenic shock.

In the course of experimental cardiogenic shock in dogs it was found that in comparison with marked disturbances of heart function and haemodynamics in the systemic circulation, the changes in the right ventricular contractility were less conspicuous. The pulmonary arterial pressure kept at a level approaching the initial one. The pulmonary vascular resistance substantially rose at the same time, especially so in the arterioles. The left heart filling pressure did not increase. The authors assume that the changes in the pulmonary vascular resistance result from direct neurohumoral control of vascular resistance, and discuss possible mechanism of this control.