scholarly journals The Myosin Myocardial Mesh Interpreted as a Biological Analogous of Nematic Chiral Liquid Crystals

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 179
Author(s):  
Pierre-Simon Jouk ◽  
Yves Usson

There are still grey areas in the understanding of the myoarchitecture of the ventricular mass. This is despite the progress of investigation methods since the beginning of the 21st century (diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging, microcomputed tomography, and polarised light imaging). The objective of this article is to highlight the specificities and the limitations of polarised light imaging (PLI) of the unstained myocardium embedded in methyl methacrylate (MMA). Thus, to better differentiate our method from other PLI modes, we will refer to it by the acronym PLI-MMA. PLI-MMA shows that the myosin mesh of the compact left ventricular wall behaves like a biological analogous of a nematic chiral liquid crystal. Results obtained by PLI-MMA are: the main direction of the myosin molecules contained in an imaged voxel, the crystal liquid director n, and a regional isotropy index RI that is an orientation tensor, the equivalent of the crystal liquid order parameter. The vector n is collinear with the first eigenvector of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI-MRI). The RI has not been confounded with the diffusion tensor of DTI that gives information about the three eigenvectors of the ellipsoid of diffusion. PLI-MMA gives no information about the collagen network. The physics of soft matter has allowed the revisiting of Streeter’s conjecture on the myoarchitecture of the compact left ventricular wall: “geodesics on a nested set of toroidal surfaces”. Once the torus topology is understood, this characterisation of the myoarchitecture is more accurate and parsimonious than former descriptions. Finally, this article aims to be an enthusiastic invitation to a transdisciplinary approach between physicists of liquid crystals, anatomists, and specialists of imaging.

1978 ◽  
Vol 17 (04) ◽  
pp. 142-148
Author(s):  
U. Büll ◽  
S. Bürger ◽  
B. E. Strauer

Studies were carried out in order to determine the factors influencing myocardial 201T1 uptake. A total of 158 patients was examined with regard to both 201T1 uptake and the assessment of left ventricular and coronary function (e. g. quantitative ventriculography, coronary arteriography, coronary blood flow measurements). Moreover, 42 animal experiments (closed chest cat) were performed. The results demonstrate that:1) 201T1 uptake in the normal and hypertrophied human heart is linearly correlated with the muscle mass of the left ventricle (LVMM);2) 201T1 uptake is enhanced in the inner (subendocardial) layer and is decreased in the outer (subepicardial) layer of the left ventricular wall. The 201T1 uptake of the right ventricle is 40% lower in comparison to the left ventricle;3) the basic correlation between 201T1 uptake and LVMM is influenced by alterations of both myocardial flow and myocardial oxygen consumption; and4) inotropic interventions (isoproterenol, calcium, norepinephrine) as well as coronary dilatation (dipyridamole) may considerably augment 201T1 uptake in accordance with changes in myocardial oxygen consumption and/or myocardial flow.It is concluded that myocardial 201T1 uptake is determined by multiple factors. The major determinants have been shown to include (i) muscle mass, (ii) myocardial flow and (iii) myocardial oxygen consumption. The clinical data obtained from patient groups with normal ventricular function, with coronary artery disease, with left ventricular wall motion abnormalities and with different degree of left ventricular hypertrophy are correlated with quantitated myocardial 201T1 uptake.


Circulation ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 93 (10) ◽  
pp. 1877-1885 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto M. Lang ◽  
Philippe Vignon ◽  
Lynn Weinert ◽  
James Bednarz ◽  
Claudia Korcarz ◽  
...  

1970 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
HERMAN L. FALSETTI ◽  
ROBERT E. MATES ◽  
COLIN GRANT ◽  
DAVID G. GREENE ◽  
IVAN L. BUNNELL

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