Figure 1.

Assessment of left ventricular (LV) myocardial function at 4 h post-treatment as a percentage of similar measurements made at baseline for all treatment groups (values represent means ± SEM): (A) maximum LV dP/dT; (B) LV dP/dT at 25 mm Hg LV-generated pressure, and (C) LV relaxation time (time for maximum negative dP/dT to recover 50% back to 0 [RT₅₀]). Both contractility measurements demonstrated significant reductions from baseline values after LPS administration (*p < 0.01 vs. control [CTRL]). In addition, the RT₅₀ increased dramatically relative to baseline in association with LPS treatment (*p < 0.01 vs. control). Pretreatment with cyclosporin A (CsA) and FK506 protected against these LPS-induced systolic and diastolic impairments in left ventricular function (^†p < 0.01 vs. LPS-treated alone).