Effect of systole on coronary pressure-flow relations in the right ventricle of the dog.

Downey and Kirk's hypothesis that ventricular systole inhibits coronary blood flow by forming vascular waterfalls was examined in conscious chronically instrumented dogs by studying the effect of right ventricular systole on right coronary blood flow. Diastolic and systolic pressure-flow relations were constructed at resting-level flow and peak flow reactive hyperemia from phasic pressure and flow tracings recorded in nine dogs with right ventricular pressures ranging between 14 and 154 mmHg. Linear relations were found between aortic pressure and right coronary flow during diastolic and during systole when peak ventricular pressure was less than systemic. At resting-level flow and when peak ventricular pressure was less than one-half systemic, systole translated the diastolic relation to a higher zero-flow-intercept pressure and did not alter the slope of the relation. We interpret the data as showing that ventricular systole inhibits coronary blood flow by augmenting a vascular waterfall mechanism that exists during diastole.