[Evaluation of elasticity by means of length-tension relationships in a model of isolated ventricular myocardium from rat and cat papillary muscle under conditions of contracture (author's transl)].

Increase of Ca2+ concentration to 7.5 mM in the presence of 10 mM or 20 mM caffeine shifted length-tension relationships of 5 rat trabecular muscles and 5 cat papillary muscles to higher tensions. At 1max diastolic tension was enhanced from (formula: see text), for all measured points of stress-strain relationships after the increase of diastolic tension by caffeine and Ca2+ as well as under control conditions. The function E = f (sigma) = b (sigma - c) was computed by linear regression analysis (0.99 greater than r2 greater than 0.96). The average value of constant b was 13.89 +/- 2.01 in control curves of rat trabecular muscles and 13.42 +/- 1.98 in curves with 10 mM caffeine and 7.5 mM Ca2+. Likewise, in cat papillary muscles 20 mM caffeine and 7.5 mM Ca2+ did not alter the stiffness constant b in a statistically significant manner (control: 16.63 +/- 3.03, caffeine: 16.43 +/- 3.02). The results demonstrate that the stiffness constant b cannot indicate acute variations of the length-tension relationships due to caffeine and Ca2+ and may result in overestimating of myocardial distensibility. However, if the tangent modulus (E) is related to strain (epsilon), the alterations of diastolic elasticity are detectable. Mathematical considerations of these experimental results imply a new base for evaluation of diastolic elasticity of the heart by means of the tangent modulus (E). These results are of substantial importance in clinical evaluation of distensibility of myocardial tissue, as the tangent modulus related to wall stress apparently is not appropriate to realize alterations in "passive" myocardial properties due to contracture.