L. Vittone et al., PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL FACTORS THAT AFFECT MYOCARDIAL RELAXATION, Journal of pharmacological and toxicological methods, 32(1), 1994, pp. 7-18
Evaluation of the myocardial relaxation has become important in the la
st years. Pm impaired relaxation may precede contractile dysfunctions
and even cause heart failure. To treat this impaired lusitropism it is
necessary to properly assess the lusitropic state of the heart and un
derstand how drugs affect the cellular mechanisms underlying myocardia
l relaxation (sarcoplasmic reticulum function, Ca2+ fluxes through the
sarcolemma and myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity). Current information reg
arding these issues is provided in this review. The relative usefulnes
s of the mechanical parameters used to evaluate the lusitropic state o
f the heart in experimental models applied in pharmacology will also b
e discussed.