The Anrep effect is an autoregulation method in which myocardial contractility increases with afterload. It was experimentally determined that increasing afterload caused a proportional linear increase in ventricular inotropy. This effect is found in denervated heart preparations, such as the Starling Preparation, and as such, represents an intrinsic autoregulation mechanism. The Anrep effect is named after Russian physiologist Gleb von Anrep, who described it in 1912.