To determine the mechanical factors affecting regional segmental motion after acute coronary occlusion, we studied seven conscious dogs, instrumented with sonomicrometers. Loading conditions were changed by the withdrawal of 500 ml of blood and the transfusion of 800 ml of blood. To express segmental motion, percent systolic shortening, percent systolic elongation, and early diastolic shortening were calculated. Blood withdrawal decreased left ventricular preload, increased percent systolic elongation (from 6.9 +/- 3.1% to 9.9 +/- 3.5%) and early diastolic shortening (12.9 +/- 5.3% to 16.6 +/- 5.3%), and decreased percent systolic shortening. Blood transfusion increased left ventricular preload, decreased percent systolic elongation (to 5.2 +/- 1.8%) and early diastolic shortening (8.8 +/- 2.9%), and increased percent systolic shortening. Manipulation of loading did not change regional myocardial blood flow. In acutely ischemic myocardium, the tension-length loop showed an exponential upstroke during isovolumic systole and a nearly superimposed exponential downstroke during the isovolumic relaxation phase after systole, compatible with essentially passive movement as seen with an elastic material. The changes in loading conditions affected the tension-length curve to a very minor extent. The uniformity of the curve and its exponential shape explain the load-dependency of systolic bulging and segmental motion. It is concluded that systolic bulging depends on the change in the preload tension due to the compliant portion of tension-length curve, and that shortening of ischemic myocardium during the isovolumic relaxation phase is a completely passive phenomenon.