Interv Akut Kardiol 2011; 10(Suppl. D): 6-10

Comparative aspects of the development of cardiac blood supply

Bohuslav Ošťádal

Centrum výzkumu chorob srdce a cév, Fyziologický ústav AV ČR, Praha

Phylogenetic differences in cardiac size are accompanied by significant changes of the cardiac blood supply. Vertebrates generally possess

four types of ventricular musculature and blood supply: a) spongious musculature only, supplied by diffusion from the ventricular

cavity – lacunar blood supply; b) the inner avascular spongious layer is covered by an outer compact layer with a vascular supply;

c) like b) but with capillaries also present in some trabeculae of spongious musculature and d) compact musculature only, supplied by

coronary vessels. While the heart of adult homeotherms consists of compact musculature with a coronary blood supply (type d), the

ventricular myocardium of most species of cold-blooded vertebrates is of types a–c. In birds and mammals the spongy-like musculature

with lacunary blood supply occurs only during early phases of ontogenetic development. All available findings support the hypothesis

that the development and growth of the vascular compact layer is not determined by phylogenetic position of the animal but it

is necessary for the maintenance of higher blood pressure in the larger and more loaded hearts (according to the law of Laplace). This

also means that vascularization is a consequence of this evolution since coronary arteries are the only way how to supply the compact

musculature with blood.

Keywords: vertebrate heart, blood supply, phylogeny, compact musculature, spongious musculature

Published: June 1, 2011  Show citation