Excitation-Contraction in Cardiac Muscle of the Adult and Senescent Rat

The impact of adult aging on many aspects of myocardial function in animals and man has recently been reviewed (1,2,3). The present discussion will focus on excitation-contraction and aging of the myocardium. I will try -to integrate the findings of recent and earlier studies in order to formulate alternative hypotheses regarding the mechanisms of age-related alterations of excitation-contraction coupling.