Inotrope

An inotrope (/ˈaɪnɵtroʊp/; from Greek in-, meaning fibre or sinew) is an agent that alters the force or energy of muscular contractions. Negatively inotropic agents weaken the force of muscular contractions. Positively inotropic agents increase the strength of muscular contraction. The term inotropic state is most commonly used in reference to various drugs that affect the strength of contraction of heart muscle (myocardial contractility). However, it can also refer to pathological conditions. For example, enlarged heart muscle (ventricular hypertrophy) can increase inotropic state, whereas dead heart muscle (myocardial infarction) can decrease it. This video is targeted to blind users. Attribution: Article text available under CC-BY-SA Creative Commons image source in video