Myofilament-generated tension oscillations during partial calcium activation and activation dependence of the sarcomere length-tension relation of skinned cardiac cells.

During partial Ca2+ activation, skinned cardiac cells with sarcoplasmic reticulum destroyed by detergent developed spontaneous tension oscillations consisting of cycles (0.1-1 Hz) of rapid decrease of tension corresponding to the yield of some sarcomeres and slow redevelopment of tension corresponding to the reshortening of these sarcomeres. Such myofilament-generated tension oscillations were never observed during the full activation induced by a saturating [free Ca2+] or during the rigor tension induced by decreasing [MgATP] in the absence of free Ca2+ or when the mean sarcomere length (SL) of the preparation was greater than 3.10 microm during partial Ca2+ activation. A stiff parallel elastic element borne by a structure that could be digested by elastase hindered the study of the SL--active tension diagram in 8-13-microm-wide skinned cells from the rat ventricle, but this study was possible in 2-7-microm-wide myofibril bundles from the frog or dog ventricle. During rigor the tension decreased linearly when SL was increased from 2.35 to 3.80 microm. During full Ca2+ activation the tension decreased by less than 20% when SL was increased from 2.35 to approximately 3.10 microm. During partial Ca2+ activation the tension increased when SL was increased from 2.35 to 3.00 microm. From this observation of an apparent increase in the sensitivity of the myofilaments to Ca2+ induced by increasing SL during partial Ca2+ activation, a model was proposed that describes the tension oscillations and permits the derivation of the maximal velocity of shortening (Vmax). Vmax was increased by increasing [free Ca2+] or decreasing [free Mg2+] but not by increasing SL.