What is cardiac Inotropism?

Changes in inotropy are an important feature of cardiac muscle because unlike skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle cannot modulate its force generation through changes in motor nerve activity and motor unit recruitment.

What is preload and afterload?

Preload is the initial stretching of the cardiac myocytes (muscle cells) prior to contraction. It is related to ventricular filling. Afterload is the force or load against which the heart has to contract to eject the blood. Afterload is the ‘load’ to which the heart must pump against.

What is positive Inotropism?

Positively inotropic agents increase the strength of muscular contraction. The term inotropic state is most commonly used in reference to various drugs that affect the strength of contraction of heart muscle (myocardial contractility). However, it can also refer to pathological conditions.

What is preload in cardiac output?

Preload, also known as the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP), is the amount of ventricular stretch at the end of diastole. Think of it as the heart loading up for the next big squeeze of the ventricles during systole.

What is Bathmotropic effect?

Bathmotropic often refers to modifying the degree of excitability specifically of the heart; in general, it refers to modification of the degree of excitability (threshold of excitation) of musculature in general, including the heart. A substance that has a bathmotropic effect is known as a bathmotrope.

What is Phospholamban in cardiac muscle?

Phospholamban is a key regulator of cardiac contractility and modulates SR Ca2+ sequestration by inhibiting the SR Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) in its dephosphorylated state. Upon phosphorylation, which is mediated through beta-adrenergic stimulation, the inhibitory effect of phospholamban on the function of SERCA is relieved.

Why is cardiac preload important?

Increased preload increases stroke volume, whereas decreased preload decreases stroke volume by altering the force of contraction of the cardiac muscle. The concept of preload can be applied to either the ventricles or atria.

What can increase afterload?

Afterload is increased when aortic pressure and systemic vascular resistance are increased, by aortic valve stenosis, and by ventricular dilation. When afterload increases, there is an increase in end-systolic volume and a decrease in stroke volume.

What is positive chronotropic effect?

Chronotropic drugs may change the heart rate and rhythm by affecting the electrical conduction system of the heart and the nerves that influence it, such as by changing the rhythm produced by the sinoatrial node. Positive chronotropes increase heart rate; negative chronotropes decrease heart rate.

What are examples of vasopressors?

Common Vasopressors

  • Norepinephrine.
  • Epinephrine.
  • Vasopressin (Vasostrict)
  • Dopamine.
  • Phenylephrine.
  • Dobutamine.

What is Bathmotropic effect on heart?

The bathmotropic effect modifies the heart muscle membrane excitability, and thus the ease of generating an action potential. The ease of generating an action potential is related both to the magnitude of the resting potential and to the activation state of membrane sodium channels.