Left and Right Ventricular Pressures in the Normal and the Cardiomyopathic Syrian Hamster (Mesocricetus auratus)

Abstract

Summary By means of a high fidelity fiberoptic manometer system, right and left ventricular pressures and their first derivatives have been measured at thoracotomy in 9 anesthetized and artificially ventilated golden Syrian hamsters, and are reported along with normal values for pH, pCO₂, and pO₂. Nineteen Syrian hamsters of the BIO 14.6 strain, with hereditary cardiomyopathy and clinical signs of congestive heart failure were studied in similar manner. At mean arterial pH of 7.45, significant hypoxemia was demonstrated, associated with hemodynamic evidence of depressed left and right ventricular function. Biventricular heart failure was characterized by significant bradycardia, elevation of left and right ventricular filling pressures, decrease in left ventricular systolic and maintenance of right ventricular systolic pressure.