Negative inotropy of halogenated anesthetics in ferret ventricular myocardium

P. R. Housmans Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota 55905. The effects of the volatile anesthetics halothane, enflurane, and isoflurane on amplitude and time variables of contraction and relaxation in isometric, isotonic, and zero-load clamped twitches of isolated right ventricular ferret papillary muscles (n = 24) were compared with those of changing extracellular Ca2+ concentration [( Ca2+]o). Contraction and relaxation variables were compared at equal contraction amplitudes to determine whether the studied anesthetics exert specific effects on contraction and relaxation other than those that may exist as a consequence of their negative inotropic effect. Both changes in [Ca2+]o and anesthetic concentrations had quantitatively and qualitatively similar effects on the following variables of contraction amplitude: peak isometric developed force (DF), maximal extent of shortening (DL), and maximal unloaded velocity of shortening (MUVS). Analysis of anesthetic concentration-effect curves normalized for effects to changes in [Ca2+]o demonstrated that anesthetic effects relative to those of changes in [Ca2+]o were greater on DF greater than DL greater than MUVS. When compared with twitches of equal amplitude in low [Ca2+]o, halothane, enflurane, and isoflurane accelerated isometric and isotonic relaxation. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that the negative inotropic effects of halothane, enflurane, and isoflurane are mostly a consequence of a reduction of intracellular Ca2+ availability and that anesthetic-induced decreases in myofibrillar Ca2+ responsiveness play only a minor role.