Effect of tachycardia and constriction of left circumflex artery on coronary flow and pressure in anaesthetized dogs.

1. The effect of graded changes in heart rate between 100 and 160 beats/min and constriction of the left circumflex coronary artery which reduced coronary blood flow was examined in seven anaesthetized and artificially ventilated dogs in the absence of significant changes in aortic blood pressure. Mean diastolic coronary blood flow, and the difference between the mean diastolic pressures in the coronary artery and the left ventricle were related to the increase in heart rate. 2. In all seven dogs diastolic coronary blood flow showed linear increases with heart rate increments with and without coronary narrowing which averaged 70 and 82% respectively. 3. A significant shift to the right in the relation between heart rate and mean diastolic coronary blood flow occurred with each grade of coronary constriction. Coronary blood flow became lower at any given heart rate. 4. The shift to the right in the relation between heart rate and coronary blood flow was associated with decreases in the difference between the mean diastolic pressures in the coronary artery and the left ventricle which accompanied the increase in heart rate. 5. The results suggest that increases in heart rate can enhance diastolic coronary blood flow despite coronary narrowing which reduced flow, possibly through dilatation in myocardial blood vessels.

Changes in aortic blood pressure and cardiac output curves as induced by stenosis of the descending thoracic aorta.

In 9 anaesthetized open chest rabbits cardiac output and aortic blood pressure were recorded. Cardiac output was obtained by means of an electromagnetic blood flow transducer placed around the ascending aorta. When a 10 sec stenosis of the descending thoracic aorta was produced, an increase of mean, systolic, diastolic and pulse pressure was observed above the stenosis, with a remarkable delay of the peak systolic pressure with respect to the peak velocity of ventricular ejection. Moreover, it is note worthy that during the stenosis the deceleration phase of the ventricular ejection showed a slackening which was responsible for a longer ejection time. Owing to such a longer ejection time, in 4 experiments stroke volume and cardiac output increased above the control in spite of a high aortic impedance. It is probably that the changes observed in the contour of the ventricular ejection curve, depend on modifications of the gradient between left ventricle and aortic blood pressure as well as on the combined effects of the Starling's law and of the afterload.

Vectorcardiographic analysis of prefibrillatory ventricular tachycardia in the rabbit.

In 10 urethan anaesthetized rabbits, VCG of acontine induced VT was studied. At the beginning of VT, both QRS and T loops arise and end regularly at the e point. Then, QRS loop opens and its end moves outside the E point, as a result of changes in ST segment. Later on, when ST segment disappears completely owing to an initial overlapping of the depolarization and repolarization processes, no arrest of the trace is observed between QRS and T loops. Lastly, immediately before the appearance of ventricular fibrillation, a progressive increase of the rate of VT above 400/min produces a fusion between the end of the T and the initial part ofn the next QRS loop. At this stage, no E point can be recognize. The results suggest that the transformation of VT into VF occurs through a delay and an overlapping of the depolarization-repolarization sequence.

Effect of multiple arterial haemorrhage on the coronary circulation.

In the open-chest anesthetized dog, multiple arterial haemorrhage induces a reduction of the mean coronary flow, an absote or relative increase of the phasic flow during the early ventricular ejection phase and a decrease during the remaining phases of the cardiac cycle. When blood pressure falls sharply during the haemorrhage, coronary vascular resistance increases, whereas it does not change or decreases when blood pressure falls slowly. Moreover, coronary vascular resistance decreases transiently after the stoppage of the haemorrhage.