Influence of hypertonic solutions on ventricular contractile activity

¹ Baker Medical Research Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

The reduced amplitude of contractions which resulted from perfusion of isolated toad ventricular muscle in Ringer's solution made hypertonic by the addition of sucrose was rapidly followed by states of "tetanus" and of contracture. The amplitude of contracture varied with both the perfusate calcium concentration and with the stimulation frequency. Replacement of the hypertonic by the standard perfusate resulted in posthypertonic potentiation.