Effect of interconnecting collagen fibres on left ventricular function and intramyocardial compression.

OBJECTIVE

The aim was to study the effects of the collagen mesh that interconnects the myocardial fibres on left ventricular mechanics and intramyocardial pressure.

METHODS

An earlier model which integrates a symmetrical left ventricular geometry and transmural muscle fibre structure with muscle fibre mechanics was expanded to include radial stiffness generated by dynamically stretched radial collagen fibres. The calculated end systolic pressure-volume relationship (ESPVR) was compared to left ventricular pressure and volume data from six open chest dogs, obtained over a wide load range. Midwall intramyocardial pressure measurements by flat intramyocardial transducer in six different dogs were also used.

RESULTS

Consistent with the experiments, inclusion of radial stiffness yielded an ESPVR that was more curvilinear than the collagen-free model, and modified global left ventricular function in that the end systolic volume increased. A diastolic suction effect, manifested by a negative pressure with a steep diastolic pressure-volume relationship at low end systolic volumes, was predicted. The intramyocardial pressure was higher than the left ventricular pressure at the end of isovolumetric relaxation, when radial stretch is maximal and fibre stresses are relaxed. This is attributed to the radial fibre stress component. Intramyocardial pressure was only weakly dependent on left ventricular cavity pressure under wide load manipulations at constant contractility. The experiments also confirmed model predictions that (1) peak intramyocardial pressure is insensitive to load, (2) intramyocardial pressure is markedly higher than left ventricular pressure at the end of isovolumetric relaxation, and (3) intramyocardial pressure continues to rise during ejection towards a maximum value near end ejection.

CONCLUSIONS

The transverse radial stiffness due to radial collagen interconnections between myocardial fibrils affects the global systolic left ventricular function, the diastolic suction effect, and the mechanism of systolic coronary compression.