Temporal changes in canine right ventricular volume, mass, cell size, and sarcomere length after banding the pulmonary artery

Abstract

The interrelation of sarcomere length, cell length, ventricular volume, and weight was determined in the right ventricle of normal and pulmonary arterial banded dogs; a temporal model of the acute and chronic compensatory changes of the myocardium is presented. These changes include an early increase in end-diastolic sarcomere length and the occurrence of fibre slippage. Although myocardial hypertrophy diminishes ventricular volume, the ventricle does not completely compensate; therefore, the volume of the ventricle does not return to normal.