Physiologic

Properties of the
Heart

Judy Ann L. Carpenteros

MSciEd-Bio 1
Contractility/Inotropism:

 It is the ability of the cardiac muscle to

convert electrical energy into mechanical
work. Myocardial fibers have ‘functional
syncytium’ and not ‘anatomical
syncytium’, because they present in
contact but not in continuity.
 
 Excitation-Contraction Coupling in Cardiac
Muscle:
 
• Is the mechanism by which action potential
causes myofibrils of cardiac muscle to
contract. When action potential passes over
cardiac muscle membrane, it also spreads to
interior of cardiac muscle fiber along
membranes of transverse (T) tubules.
Extracellular Ca2+ diffuses down gradient into
cell through T- tubules. This Ca2+ stimulates
opening of Ca2+ channels in sarcoplasmic
reticulum (calcium induced calcium release).
 • Factors affecting Myocardial
Contractility:

1. Cardiac Innervation:
• i. Sympathetic nerve stimulation increased force
of contraction.
• ii. Parasympathetic nerve stimulation (vagus)
decreased atrial force of contraction with no
significant effect on ventricular muscle.
2. Oxygen Supply:
• Hypoxia decreases contractility.

3. Calcium and Potassium Ions

Concentration in ECF:
 
• i. Increase in Ca2+ increases contractility.
• ii. Increase in K+ increases contractility.
4. Physical Factors:
 
• i. Warming increases contractility.
• ii. Cooling decreases contractility.

5. Hormonal and Chemical Factors (Drugs):

 
• i. Positive inotropics ― (Adrenaline, noradrenaline,
alkalosis, digitalis, Ca2+, caffeine).
• ii. Negative inotropics ― [Acetylcholine, acidosis,
ether, chloroform, some bacterial toxins (e.g.
diphtheria toxins), K+].
Characteristics of Contractility:

1. Cardiac muscle obeys ‘all-or-none law’. A

single sub-minimal stimulus does not evoke
any response, but minimal or threshold
stimuli lead to maximal cardiac contraction,
and further increase in stimulus strength
does not increase the contraction.
2. Cardiac muscle cannot be stimulated
while it is con­tracted, because its excitability
during contraction is zero due to long
absolute refractory period, so it cannot be
tetanized.
3. Cardiac muscle can perform both
isometric and isotonic types of contractions.

4. Starling’s law of the heart “Length-tension

relationship”. Within physiological limits, the
greater the initial length of the fiber, the
stronger will be the force of its contraction;
however, overstretching the fiber as in heart
failure its power of contractility decreases.
5. Staircase phenomenon/Treppe ― If
several adequate stimuli of same strength
are applied in quick succession, the first few
contractions show a pro­gressive increase in
amplitude, after that it becomes standstill.
The initial increase is due to increase of
temperature, H+ ion and Ca++ ion
concentrations resulting from previous
contractions. This is referred to as staircase
phenomenon.
6. Summation of sub-minimal stimuli. A
single sub-­minimal stimulus is ineffective.
But if two or more such stimuli are applied
in quick succession, there is a response. This
is due to summation of all the local
excitatory states caused by each sub-
minimal stimulus.
Conductivity (Dromotropism):
 Is the ability of cardiac muscle fibers
to conduct the cardiac impulses that
are initiated in the SA node (the
pacemaker of the heart).
• 1. SA Node:
 
• Under normal conditions, electrical activity is
spon­taneously generated by the SA node, the
physiological pacemaker. This electrical impulse
is propagated throughout the right atrium, and
through Bachmann’s bundle to the left atrium,
stimulating the myocardium of both atria to
contract. As the electrical activity is spreading
throughout the atria, it travels via specia­lized
pathways, known as internodal tracts, from the
SA node to the AV node.
2. Internodal Tracts:
 
• They comprise of three namely, anterior bundle of
Bachmann, middle-Wenkebach, and posterior
bundle of Thorel.

3. AV Node:

• The AV node functions as a critical delay in the

conduc­tion system. Without this delay, the atria and
ventricles would contract at the same time, and blood
would not flow effectively from the atria to the
ventricles.
4. Bundle of His:
 
• The distal portion of the AV node is known as the
bundle of His. The bundle of His splits into two
bran­ches in the interventricular septum, the left
bundle branch and the right bundle branch. The
left bundle branch activates the left ventricle,
while the right bundle branch activates the right
ventricle. The left bundle branch is short,
splitting into the left anterior fascicle and the left
posterior fascicle.
5. Purkinje Fibers/Ventricular Myocardium:

• The two bundle branches taper out to

produce numerous Purkinje fibers, which
stimulate individual groups of myocardial
cells to contract.
 Factors affecting Myocardial
Conductivity:

1. Cardiac Innervation:
i. Sympathetic nerve stimulation ― Increases conductivity.

ii. Parasympathetic nerve stimulation (vagus) ― Decreases

conductivity.

2. Effect of Ions Concentration in ECF:

i. Increase in Ca2+ → Increases conductivity.

3. Physical Factors:

i. Rise of temperature increases conductivity.

 
ii. Decreases temperature decreases conductivity.
 
4. Blood Flow:
 
• Insufficient blood flow to cardiac muscle decreases
conductivity and myocardial metabolism for three
reasons:
• i. Lack of O2
• ii. Excess accumulation of CO2
• iii. Lack of sufficient food nutrients.
5. Chemical Factors (Drugs):

• Digitalis → Increases conductivity.

Thank you!