Frank's law of the heart: Found in translation

The nature of waves in the arteries in memoriam: Nico Westerhof and John Tyberg

This memorial remembers the lives of two distinguished researchers who made major contributions to cardiovascular physiology; Nico Westerhof (1937-2022) and John Tyberg (1938-2022). It is a joint memorial not because they collaborated closely but because they held very different views about the nature of waves in the arteries. Their papers and particularly their lively discussions at many scientific meetings stimulated interest in the subject. Both were thoughtful and articulate about their views and the debates were polite and dignified. They never resolved their differences and, after outlining what these differences were, we will suggest that perhaps there is no resolution. The authors of this memorial were close to one or the other protagonist; a son, a son-in-law and two close collaborators. We all have different views about the nature of waves in the arteries but we all share great respect for both men and felt that a joint memorial was a fitting way to remember them and their many contributions. All of the authors knew the subjects of this memorial as 'Nico' and 'John' and we will use these informal names throughout. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Frank-Starling mechanism, fluid responsiveness, and length-dependent activation: Unravelling the multiscale behaviors with an in silico analysis

The Frank-Starling mechanism is a fundamental regulatory property which underlies the cardiac output adaptation to venous filling. Length-dependent activation is generally assumed to be the cellular origin of this mechanism. At the heart scale, it is commonly admitted that an increase in preload (ventricular filling) leads to an increased cellular force and an increased volume of ejected blood. This explanation also forms the basis for vascular filling therapy. It is actually difficult to unravel the exact nature of the relationship between length-dependent activation and the Frank-Starling mechanism, as three different scales (cellular, ventricular and cardiovascular) are involved. Mathematical models are powerful tools to overcome these limitations. In this study, we use a multiscale model of the cardiovascular system to untangle the three concepts (length-dependent activation, Frank-Starling, and vascular filling). We first show that length-dependent activation is required to observe both the Frank-Starling mechanism and a positive response to high vascular fillings. Our results reveal a dynamical length dependent activation-driven response to changes in preload, which involves interactions between the cellular, ventricular and cardiovascular levels and thus highlights fundamentally multiscale behaviors. We show however that the cellular force increase is not enough to explain the cardiac response to rapid changes in preload. We also show that the absence of fluid responsiveness is not related to a saturating Frank-Starling effect. As it is challenging to study those multiscale phenomena experimentally, this computational approach contributes to a more comprehensive knowledge of the sophisticated length-dependent properties of cardiac muscle.

It is commonly admitted that the length-dependent activation is the cellular property underlying the Frank-Starling mechanism. However, it is challenging to assess the cardiac cell length in vivo, and to link it to system-level variables. In this study, we investigated the relationship between length-dependent activation (LDA), the Frank-Starling mechanism, and vascular filling therapy using a multiscale model of the cardiovascular system. We showed that the Frank-Starling mechanism is a multiscale, dynamical and LDA-driven phenomenon involving essential connections between the three cellular, ventricular and cardiovascular scales. We also demonstrated that the response to vascular filling therapy is similarly multiscale and LDA-driven, and that afterload is an important factor to account for when trying to predict the system fluid responsiveness.

Thermodynamic inconsistency disproves the Suga-Sagawa theory of cardiac energetics

The theory proposed by Suga and Sagawa, encompassing the concepts of 'time-varying elastance', 'pressure-volume area' and 'isoefficiency', has been widely applied in cardiac research - albeit not without contention. In this Review, we commence with a brief history of striated muscle energetics as a prelude to re-visiting the Suga-Sagawa Theory. We conclude our discussion by including recent insights into the fundamental flaw underlying the metabolic component of the Theory.

Toward an understanding of the regulation of myofibrillar function

Regulation of muscle contraction has been viewed as principally involving Ca2+ binding to regulatory proteins on the thin filament, but while this is an important element of regulation, the mechanism does not explain the precise matching of muscle performance to the load it must lift or move. Now, it is increasingly evident that mechanisms instrinsic to the thick filament activate myosin cross-bridges as the force or load on a muscle increases. Both thick and thin filament regulatory mechanisms are featured in this special issue of the Journal of General Physiology .