To assess the normal value of left ventricular twist (LVtw) and examine the changes with normal aging by 2-dimensional ultrasound speckle-tracking imaging (STI), 121 healthy volunteers were divided into three age groups: a youth group (19-45 y old), a middle-age group (46-64 y old) and an old-age group (> or = 65 y old). Basal and apical short-axis images of left ventricular were acquired to analyse LV rotation (LVrot) and LVrot velocity. LVtw and LVtw velocity was defined as apical LVrot and LVrot velocity relative to the base. Peak twist (Ptw), twist at aortic valve closure (AVCtw), twist at mitral valve opening (MVOtw), untwisting rate (UntwR), half time of untwisting (HTU), peak twist velocity (PTV), time to peak twist velocity (TPTV), peak untwisting velocity (PUV), time to peak untwisting velocity (TPUV) were separately measured. The results showed that the normal LV performs a wringing motion with a clockwise rotation at the base and a counterclock-wise rotation at the apex (as seen from the apex). The LVtw velocity showed a systolic counterclock-wise twist followed by a diastolic clockwise twist. Peak twist develops near the end of systole (96%+/-4.2% of systole). With aging, Ptw, AVCtw, MVOtw, HTU and PUV increased significantly (P<0.05) and UntwR decreased significantly (P<0.05). However, no significant differences in TPUV, PTV and TPTV were noted among the 3 groups (P>0.05). It is concluded that LV twist can be measured non-invasively by 2-dimensional ultrasound STI imaging. The age-related changes of LVtw should be fully taken into consideration in the assessment of LV function.
Aging ; Echocardiography ; Heart Ventricles/anatomy & histology ; Heart Ventricles/*ultrasonography ; Ventricular Function, Left/*physiology ; Young Adult

The effect of the autonomic nerves on the transmural dispersion of ventricular repolarization (TDR) under acute myocardial ischemia in intact canine was investigated. Using the monophasic action potential (MAP) recording technique, MAPs of the epicardium (Epi), mid-myocardium (Mid) and endocardium (Endo) were recorded simultaneously by specially designed plunge-needle electrodes at the left ventricular free wall under acute myocardial ischemia in 12 open-chest dogs. MAPD90 and TDR among three myocardial layers as well as the incidence of the early afterdepolarization (EAD) before autonomic nervous stimulation and during autonomic nervous stimulation were compared. It was found that 10 min after acute myocardial ischemia, TDR was increased from 55 +/- 8 ms to 86 +/- 15 ms during sympathetic stimulation (P < 0.01). The TDR (53 +/- 9 ms) during parasympathetic stimulation was not significantly different from that of the control (55 +/- 8 ms) (P > 0.05). The EAD was elicited in the Mid of 2 dogs (16%) 10 min after acute myocardial ischemia, but the EAD were elicited in the Mid of 7 dogs (58%) during sympathetic stimulation (P < 0.01). It was concluded that: (1) Sympathetic stimulation can increase the transmural dispersion of repolarization and induce early afterdepolarizations in the Mid under acute myocardial ischemia, which provide the opportunity for the ventricular arrhythmia developing; (2) Parasympathetic stimulation has no significant effect on the transmural dispersion of repolarization under myocardial ischemia.
Action Potentials/physiology ; Autonomic Nervous System/*physiopathology ; Electric Stimulation ; Heart Ventricles/innervation ; Heart Ventricles/*physiology ; Myocardial Ischemia/*physiopathology ; Neuromuscular Junction

The chronic effects of carboxyl-terminal polypeptide of Cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1-CP) on ventricular electrical remodeling were investigated. CT-1-CP, which contains 16 amino acids in sequence of the C-terminal of Cardiotrophin-1, was selected and synthesized, and then administered to Kunming mice (aged 5 weeks) by intraperitoneal injection (500 ng·g⁻¹·day⁻¹) (4 groups, n=10 and female: male=1:1 in each group) for 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks, respectively. The control group (n=10, female: male=1:1) was injected by physiological saline for 4 weeks. The epicardial monophasic action potential (MAP) was recorded by using a contact-type MAP electrode placed vertically on the left ventricular (LV) epicardium surface, and the electrocardiogram (ECG) signal in lead II was monitored synchronously. ECG intervals (RR, PR, QRS and QT) and the amplitude of MAP (Am), the maximum upstroke velocity (Vmax), as well as action potential durations (APDs) at different repolarization levels (APD30, APD50, APD70, and APD90) of MAP were determined and analyzed in detail. There were no significant differences in RR and P intervals between CT-1-CP-treated groups and control group, but the PR segment and the QRS complex were greater in the former than in the latter (F=2.681 and 5.462 respectively, P<0.05). Though QT interval and the corrected QT interval (QTc) were shorter in CT-1-CP-treated groups than in control group, the QT dispersion (QTd) of them was greater in the latter than in the former (F=3.090, P<0.05) and increased with the time. The ECG monitoring synchronously with the MAP showed that the compression of MAP electrode on the left ventricular epicardium induced performance similar to myocardium ischemia. As compared with those before chest-opening, the PR segment and QT intervals remained basically unchanged in control group, but prolonged significantly in all CT-1-CP-treated groups and the prolongation of QT intervals increased gradually along with the time of exposure to CT-1-CP. The QRS complex had no significant change in control group, one-week and three-week CT-1-CP-treated groups, but prolonged significantly in two-week and four-week CT-1-CP-treated groups. Interestingly, the QTd after chest-opening was significantly greater than that before chest-opening in control group (t=5.242, P<0.01), but decreased along with the time in CT-1-CP-treated groups. The mean MAP amplitude, Vmax and APD were greater in CT-1-CP-treated groups than those in control group, and became more obvious along with the time. The APD in four CT-1-CP-treat groups was prolonged mainly in middle to final repolarization phase. The difference among these groups became significant in middle phase (APD50) (F=6.076, P<0.01) and increased furthermore in late and final phases (APD70: F=10.054; APD90: F=18.691, P<0.01) along with the time of injection of CT-1-CP. The chronic action of CT-1-CP might induce the adapting alteration in cardiac conductivity and ventricular repolarization. The amplitude and the Vmax of the anterior LV epicardial MAP increased obviously, and the APD prolonged mainly in late and final phase of repolarization.
Animals ; Cytokines ; chemistry ; physiology ; Electrocardiography ; Heart Ventricles ; metabolism ; Mice ; Peptide Fragments ; physiology ; Ventricular Function

During the past few decades, rapid development has been achieved in cardiac MRI. Cardiac MRI has also proven to be a useful tool in congenital heart disease, especially for the evaluation of its function and physiology. MRI can measure the ventricular volume, ventricular mass, flow velocity and flow volume accurately. Cardiac MRI has basically three-dimensional natures, so it is well suited for the measurement of functional parameters of right ventricle without geometrical assumption unlike echocardiography. MRI is becoming the useful imaging modality for the evaluation of systemic right ventricle which is often failed in the patients with unoperated or surgically corrected transposition of the great arteries.
Arteries ; Echocardiography ; Heart Defects, Congenital ; Heart Ventricles* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Physiology

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Mitral flow Doppler has been used to evaluate left ventricle (LV) diastolic function by mitral E/A flow ratio, isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) and deceleration time (DT) of E wave. Such variables can be affected by various factors. The increase in left atrium (LA) afterload and preload is accompanied by increased LA size. So, we investigated the relationship of LA volume and LV diastolic dysfunction. MATERIALS AND METHOD: From January 2000 to July 2000, 39 patients were included in this study. They were classified into normal (M:F=5:6, mean age 54.0+/-11.4 years), impaired relaxation (M:F=5:4, mean age 70.0+/-5.5 years), pseudonormal (M:F=5:3, mean age 68.3+/-13.2 years) and restrictive physiology (M:F=10:1, mean age 65.5+/-12.7 years) according to mitral inflow variables. The LA volume of each groups was measured by Simpson method, M-mode method and arealength method. RESULTS: 1) The LA volumes measured by Simpson method, M-mode method and area-length method were correlated (p<0.001, r=0.925 in Simpson compared with arealength method). 2) The LA volume by Simpson method were found 54.4+/-16.4 cm3 in normal, 57.3+/-9.2 cm3 in impaired relaxation, 81.4+/-28.8 cm3 in pseudonormal and 119.8+/-64.5 cm3 in restrictive physiology. 3) The LA volume were significantly increased in pseudonormal group compared with normal (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The LA volume is a useful and easy diagnostic stool for evaluating of LV diastolic function.
Cardiac Volume ; Deceleration ; Diastole ; Heart Atria ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Physiology ; Relaxation

Cardiac reentry is one of the important factors to induce arrhythmias. It could lead to ventricular tachycardia (VT) or even fibrillation (VF), resulting in sudden cardiac death. With the wide use of computer in the quantitative study of electrophysiology, the three-dimensional virtual heart for simulations needs to be developed imminently in computer. In this paper, numerical algorithm of the model was studied. The three-dimensional model was constructed by integrating Luo-Rudy 1991 ventricular cell model and diffusion equation. The operator splitting method was employed to solve the model. The alternate direction iterative (ADI) format and seven-point centered difference method were used for the partial differential equation. And the discrete format with second-order accuracy was taken for the boundary conditions. The results showed that the ADI format and seven-point centered difference method both could successfully figure out the membrane potential and electrical activities with good numerical stability. However, computing consumption could be greatly reduced with the ADI format, implying that the ADI method with large time step was more powerful in numerical simulations.
Action Potentials ; Algorithms ; Heart ; physiology ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Models, Cardiovascular ; Myocardium

AIMTo approach the effects of multi-site synchronous ventricular pacing on myocardial mechanics and cardiac work.

METHODSFive modes of multi-site synchronous ventricular pacing were randomly performed in 12 dogs with anesthetized, opened chest and artificial-ventilation. Some parameters were measured simultaneously including: the peak of left ventricular pressure rise and fall (+/- dp/ dt(max)), the time constant of left ventricular relaxation(tau), the muscle tensile force in left/right ventricular wall (V-tensile force, V-TF), SV, LVSW and RVSW.

RESULTSThe myocardial systolic mechanical parameters: +dp/dt(max) and LV-TF of cHisB-LVPL and RVA-LVPL pacing by biventricular pacing modes were increased than that of cHisB-RVA pacing in right ventricular bifocal pacing mode. +dp/dt(max) in above two groups of biventricular pacing was increased than that in cHisB-RVA pacing. Tau value of cHisB-LVPL and RVA-LVPL pacing modes were shorted than that of cHisB-RVA pacing. The above parameters of cHisB-RVA-LVPL and cHisB-RVA-LVA biventricular trifocal pacing were superior to that of cHisB-LVPL and RVA-LVPL biventricular pacing. The +dp/dt(max), LV-TF and RV-TF of cHisB-RVA-LVPL pacing were increased as compared with that of cHisB-RVA-LVA pacing (P > 0.05). The -dp/dt(max) in cHisB-RVA-LVPL pacing were increased by 6.0% and tau value was shorted by 3.7% compared with those in cHisB-RVA-LVA pacing (P > 0.05). SV, LVSW and RVSW of cHisB-LVPL and RVA-LVPL biventricular pacing were increased than those of cHisB-RVA bifocal pacing. The above parameters of cHisB-RVA-LVPL pacing were increased than that of cHisB-RVA-LVA and cHisB-LVPL pacing.

CONCLUSIONIt was explained that the cHisB-RVA-LVPL biventricular trifocal sites synchronous pacing mode would increase the velocity of ejection and filling during myocardial contraction and relaxation and enhance cardiac work by maintaining normal VSS.

Animals ; Cardiac Pacing, Artificial ; methods ; Dogs ; Female ; Heart ; physiology ; Heart Ventricles ; Male ; Myocardium

The control arithmetic is proposed for axial blood pump driven by extracorporeal alternating magnet field based on ventricular work. According to health physiological parameters, the control model is verified by calculation and experiment. The control model used for driving blood pump is derived from the relationship of natural heart and artificial heart. By comparison with others, the control arithmetic based on ventricular work is more helpful in appraising the property of left ventricular aided device (LVAD), in meeting human body's natural need, and in effective use of motor for avoiding motor running at high speed and hence preventing the blood from the destruction caused by a blood pump at high temperature.
Algorithms ; Cardiac Output ; physiology ; Computer Simulation ; Heart Ventricles ; Heart-Assist Devices ; Hemorheology ; Humans ; Models, Cardiovascular ; Ventricular Function, Left ; physiology

Autonomic nervous system plays an important role in the regulation of mammalian heart, and it is divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic (vagal) subsystems. The parasympathetic (vagal) control of the atria involves modulation of chronotropic, dromotropic and inotropic activities, but the role of the parasympathetic innervation of the ventricles is still unclear. There is a common misconception that the sympathetic nerves innervate all over the heart; while the parasympathetic nerves only innervate the superventricular part of the heart, but not the ventricles. Recent evidence indicates that the cholinergic innervation of the left ventricle is functionally very important in some mammalian species. The present article reviews the evidence of vagal control in the ventricles from the anatomy and histochemistry, molecular biology, and function areas. Additionally we overview the vagal (muscarinic) regulation of cardiac contractile function and its signal transduction.
Animals ; Heart Ventricles ; anatomy & histology ; innervation ; metabolism ; Humans ; Myocardial Contraction ; physiology ; Receptors, Muscarinic ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; physiology ; Vagus Nerve ; physiology

Normal rhythm in a healthy human heart originates from the natural biological pacemaker, the sinoatrial (SA) node which locates in the right atrium. SA node dysfunction or atrial-ventricular (AV) conduction block causes improper heart rate (bradycardia). Such dysfunction, if severe enough, is currently treated by implanting an electronic pacemaker which has been well established technically, but there are some limitations and inadequacies. Recently, progress in developing engineered cardiac biopacemakers with use of genes or cells has been made in experimental animal models. The hyperpolarization-activated cyclic-nucleotide-modulated (HCN) channel (pacemaker channel) modulates cardiac automaticity via the hyperpolarization-activated cation current (I(f)). HCN genes have been delivered to animal myocardium via viral vectors or HCN-transferred cells for recreating biological pacemakers. Approaches with non-HCN genes or transplantation of beating cells are also novel and have been investigated for generating cardiac biopacers. This article summarizes the progresses in research on recreation of cardiac biopacemakers. Genetically engineered biological pacemaker holds great promise to potentially cure severe bradycardia if critical issues, such as their stability and longevity, are properly solved.
Biological Clocks ; physiology ; Bradycardia ; therapy ; Genetic Engineering ; Heart ; Heart Rate ; Heart Ventricles ; Humans ; Ion Channels ; Myocardium ; Pacemaker, Artificial ; Sinoatrial Node