Ventricular function and morphology in chick embryo from stages 18 to 29

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Abstract
We evaluated wet and dry ventricular and embryo weights, hemodynamic parameters of ventricular function, and myocardial myocyte organelle composition in the developing chick embryo. Phasic and dP/dt ventricular pressure were measured with a servo null pressure system, and phasic, mean, and dV/dt dorsal aortic velocities were measured with a 20-MHz pulsed-Doppler meter. Ventricular and embryo weight increased geometrically with development, but at different rates, so that the ventricle-to-embryo weight ratio decreased from 0.02 to 0.001 just prior to hatching. Ventricular systolic and end-diastolic pressure increased from 1.31 +/- 0.05/0.33 +/- 0.03 mmHg at stage 18 to 3.45 +/- 0.10/0.82 +/- 0.03 mmHg at stage 29, while dP/dt increased from 23.04 +/- 1.32 to 79.55 +/- 3.69 mmHg/s over the same period. Dorsal aortic dV/dt increased from 878 +/- 17 to 2.076 +/- 65 mm/s2 from stage 18 to 29. Myocyte percent volume of myofibrils increased from 16.7 +/- 0.9% at stage 18 to 23.6 +/- 1.1% at stage 27 and diminished to 18.4 +/- 0.8% at stage 29. Mitochondrial percent myocyte volume remained constant at about 11%. These data define the parameters of normal ventricular function and morphology during embryonic development in the chick.