Influence of thyroid hormone levels on the electrical and mechanical properties of rabbit papillary muscle

We have examined the influence of chronic in vivo alterations of thyroxine levels on the electrophysiological and mechanical properties of rabbit ventricular papillary muscles measured in vitro. Marked changes in the repolarization phase of the action potential and the time to peak tension of isometric twitches were observed when thyroid hormone levels were increased above or decreased below normal. The time to peak tension was consistently shorter than normal in hyperthyroid and longer than normal in hypothyroid preparations. In hypothyroid preparations the action potential duration was greater than that of controls at all stimulation frequencies tested (0.1 to 1.0 Hz). In hyperthyroid preparations, the repolarization phase consisted of an initial phase of fast repolarization to membrane potential values between -20 and -40 mV followed by a plateau. The early phase of repolarization persisted at all stimulation frequencies tested (0.1 to 1.0 Hz) but the plateau component increased markedly as the stimulation frequency was decreased. The early phase of repolarization was markedly reduced in the presence of 4-aminopyridine. These results suggest that thyroxine levels may modulate the kinetics of a transient outward current which in rabbit papillary muscle normally is responsible for the frequency dependence of action potential duration. Action potential amplitude, maximum rate of rise, resting membrane potential, and peak isometric twitch tension were not markedly different between the three classes of preparations. A second depolarizing response occurred in all hyperthyroid preparations at low stimulation frequencies (0.1 to 0.4 Hz) but not in control or hypothyroid preparations. This second depolarizing response, which was eliminated by D-600 treatment, was similar to the calcium-dependent slow action potentials recorded in other cardiac preparations. These two component action potentials could represent either intrinsic single cell activity, or a re-entry wave of depolarization which results from nonhomogeneous excitation.