Mechanical properties of papillary muscle in cardiac failure: importance of pathogenesis and of ventricle of origin

In an attempt to better understand what causes impairment of failing myocardium, the mechanical characteristics of papillary muscles from three different models of congestive heart failure were compared at varying stages of hypertrophy and failure: adriamycin cardiotoxic rabbit, cardiomyopathic hamster and infra-renal aorto-caval shunted dog. Except for right ventricular muscles from the shunted dogs, in all groups there was a significant decrease in total twitch tension, +dT/dt, -dT/dt, Vmax, +dL/dt, and -dL/dt. However, there were major differences in twitch duration between the three models with time to attain peak tension and peak shortening and time to attain half tension decline decreasing in right ventricular papillary muscles from adriamycin rabbits but increasing in right ventricular papillary muscles from shunted dogs and no change occurring in left ventricular papillary muscles from cardiomyopathic hamsters or shunted dogs. Load dependence as assessed by time to relaxation index for 30% afterload contractions was decreased in all but right ventricular muscles from shunted dogs. These results indicate that despite some common characteristics, major differences exist between papillary muscles from different models of congestive heart failure depending on the pathophysiological process involved and the ventricle of origin.