Medial Thickness of Pulmonary Trunk in Rats with Cor Pulmonale induced by Ingestion of Crotalaria spectabilis Seeds

Abstract

Medial hypertrophy of the pulmonary trunk is known to occur in man as a response to pulmonary hypertension, but it has never been demonstrated that this change can be produced experimentally in animals. In the present study pulmonary hypertension was induced in 10 rats by feeding them a diet which included 0·1% ground Crotalaria spectabilis seeds, which contain monocrotaline. The animals died after being on this diet for between 36 and 60 days. Thirteen control animals were also studied. All the test rats showed increased medial thickness of the pulmonary trunk (within one month) and there was a comparable increase of right ventricular weight and medial thickness of the small pulmonary arteries.