Tension-frequency relationships in normal and cardiomyopathic dog and hamster myocardium

The objective of this study was to evaluate the tension-frequency relationship in normal and cardiomyopathic myocardium from one species with a negative or biphasic relationship, the hamster, and one with a positive relationship, the dog. Left ventricular papillary muscles from 100-day-old normal Syrian and cardiomyopathic (CHF-147) hamsters and right ventricular papillary muscles or trabeculae from normal mongrel dogs and dog with pacing-induced heart failure were used for the study. Stimulation frequency was varied from 1 to 90/min and isometric contractions recorded at each frequency prior to and after the addition of phenylephrine 10 microM. A tension-frequency relationship at varying extracellular calcium concentrations (1.25, 2.5 and 5.0 mM) was also constructed in normal hamster myocardium. Ryanodine 1.2 microM was added to a bath with normal hamster muscles and a force-frequency relationship constructed prior to and after adding phenylephrine 10 microM. A calcium dose-response curve in normal and cardiomyopathic dog myocardium was also constructed. Normal and cardiomyopathic hamster myocardium had a biphasic tension-frequency relationship with the increase in tension during the second phase being greater in normal v cardiomyopathic hamster myocardium (0.66 +/- 0.19 v 0.12 +/- 0.03 g/mm2, P < 0.05). The initial decrease in tension in response to increasing stimulation frequency was markedly attenuated in normal hamster myocardium by increasing extracellular calcium concentration. Developed tension was eliminated at lower stimulation rates by ryanodine such that when developed tension did occur, it increased with increasing stimulation rates. The addition of phenylephrine to hamster myocardium modified the tension-frequency relationship of both normal and cardiomyopathic dog myocardium and their response to phenylephrine were similar. In each case, tension increased progressively with increasing stimulation rate. Although the absolute increase in tension caused by increasing extracellular calcium was less in cardiomyopathic dog myocardium, the percent increase in tension and shortening was greater. We conclude that the tension-frequency relationship of normal and cardiomyopathic hamster myocardium are biphasic, with the initial negative phase being the result of limitations of sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium handling. Phenylephrine modifies this relationship to a uniphasic positive one, likely by its effects on both the sarcolemma and the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Also, the tension-frequency relationship of normal and cardiomyopathic dog myocardium are similar and unmodified by phenylephrine.