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Intracellular Calcium Concentration Following Length Changes in Mammalian Cardiac Muscle

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Starling’s Law of The Heart Revisited

Part of the book series: Developments in Cardiovascular Medicine ((DICM,volume 89))

Abstract

There is good evidence that activation of mammalian cardiac muscle is influenced by muscle length and that this length-dependent activation contributes to the shape of the length- tension relationship. Two mechanisms which could lead to such length-dependent activation are (i) changes in the amount of calcium supplied to the myofibrils and (ii) changes in the amount of calcium bound to the myofibrils for a given supply of calcium, e.g. by changes in the affinity of troponin for calcium. One way of studying length-dependent activation is to measure the intracellular calcium concentration in muscle during length changes. In this article we review the effects of changes in muscle length on intracellular calcium concentration in cardiac muscle and consider the mechanisms which may underlie them.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    D. G. Allen, G. L. Smith & C. G. Nichols

  2. Department of Physiology, University College London, UK

    D. G. Allen, G. L. Smith & C. G. Nichols

Authors
  1. D. G. Allen
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  2. G. L. Smith
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  3. C. G. Nichols
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Health Science Centre, University of Calgary, T2N-4N1, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

    H. E. D. J. ter Keurs

  2. King Edward VII Hospital, Midhurst, GU29-0BL, West Susex, UK

    M. I. M. Noble

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© 1988 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Allen, D.G., Smith, G.L., Nichols, C.G. (1988). Intracellular Calcium Concentration Following Length Changes in Mammalian Cardiac Muscle. In: ter Keurs, H.E.D.J., Noble, M.I.M. (eds) Starling’s Law of The Heart Revisited. Developments in Cardiovascular Medicine, vol 89. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1313-4_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-1313-4_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-7084-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-1313-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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