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Paulo J F Tucci

Publications and source records attributed to Paulo J F Tucci.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Immediate functional effects of left ventricular reduction: a Doppler echocardiographic study in the rat.

BACKGROUND: Immediate functional effects of left ventricle reduction (LVR) are not yet fully defined. Those effects have been studied in the experimental model of myocardial infarction scar plication (MISP) in the rat. METHODS AND RESULTS: A Doppler echocardiogram was performed immediately before and after MISP in 20 rats with infarction of the left ventricle (LV) larger than 40%. LV diastolic volume reduction (475 +/- 114 versus 185 +/- 65 muL) was accompanied by heart rate decrease (230 +/- 25 versus 166 +/- 27 beats/min) and increase of ejection fraction (37 +/- 7 versus 67 +/- 12%), fractional shortening (18 +/- 3 versus 46 +/- 8%) and posterior wall shortening velocity (1.50 +/- 0.62 versus 2.01 +/- 0.46 cm/s). LV diastolic volume/stroke volume slope was steeper after LVR, suggesting enhancement of the Frank-Starling mechanism. Restrictive pattern of left atrial emptying was alleviated after LVR (E wave: 101 +/- 15 versus 66 +/- 14 cm/s; E/A ratio: 6.8 +/- 2.9 versus 5.0 +/- 2.2; E wave deceleration time: 36 +/- 6 versus 51 +/- 10 msec) even though left atrial diameter (0.69 +/- 0.07 versus 0.66 +/- 0.06 cm) and A wave (18.0 +/- 9.4 versus 15.8 +/- 7.8 cm/s) did not vary. Additionally, a pulmonary flow profile suggesting pulmonary hypertension was observed in 12 of 17 animals before, and in only 3 after, LVR. CONCLUSION: LVR favors cardiac function not only by reducing afterload. The present data are in consonance with previous suggestions that the Frank-Starling mechanism is enhanced after MISP and, in addition to LV ejection function improvement, the unprecedented facilitation of left atrial emptying after LVR was particularly noteworthy. Even though LVR restricts ventricular distensibility, atrial emptying can be facilitated, probably on account of LV ejection improvement.

Animals↗

Myocardial infarction scar plication in the rat: cardiac mechanics in an animal model for surgical procedures.

BACKGROUND: The immediate effects of surgical reduction of left ventricle cavity on cardiac mechanics have not been well defined. METHODS: Cardiac mechanics were analyzed before and after myocardial infarction scar plication in 11 isolated infarcted rat hearts. RESULTS: Despite a decrease in myocardial stiffness, an increase in chamber stiffness was noted after myocardial infarction scar plication. Systolic function was favored in more than one way. For the same diastolic pressures, maximal developed pressures were higher after myocardial infarction scar plication, and the slope of the systolic pressure-volume relationship was steeper afterwards as compared with before; this means that Frank-Starling recruitment is accentuated in smaller cavities. In addition, the developed net forces needed to generate these pressures were clearly lower afterward than before, indicating reduced ventricular afterload. CONCLUSIONS: The study results show that diastolic function is harmed and systolic function is favored by myocardial infarction scar plication. We suggest that preoperative evaluation of the degree of diastolic dysfunction and impairment of the Frank-Starling mechanism may help to identify patients who may have a poor postoperative outcome due to diastolic or systolic dysfunction.

Animals↗

A novel inexpensive murine model of oral chronic digitalization.

A novel inexpensive murine model of oral administration of digitoxin (100 micro g/kg per day) added to routine chow is described. Serum digitoxin levels achieved after oral (n = 5; 116 +/- 14 ng/mL) and subcutaneous (n = 5; 124 +/- 11 ng/mL) administration were similar. A significant increase in the maximal left ventricular pressure rise of treated (n = 9) compared with control (n = 6) rats (dP/dt: 8956 +/- 233 vs 7980 +/- 234 mmHg/s, respectively; P = 0.01) characterized the positive inotropic action of digitoxin. In addition, no differences were observed in treated compared with control rats with regard to the electrocardiogram and systolic and diastolic left ventricular pressures.

Administration, Oral↗