Abstract
Summary
Evidence is presented which demonstrates that serum from acute thermally injured subjects depresses the developed tension in rat papillary muscles contracting in response to electrical stimulation. The serum from normal volunteers, or from convalescent thermally injured patients slightly increased or had no effect on the developed tension. If combined with the serum from convalescent thermally injured subjects, the serum from the acute thermally injured subjects had no effect on the developed tension. These observations suggest the presence of a myocardial depressant in the serum of acute, and a neutralizing compound in the serum of convalescent thermally injured subjects.
These studies were supported by the U.S. Public Health Grant NIGMS-GM 18846-01.
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