Production of Right Ventricular Hypertrophy With and Without Congestive Heart Failure in the Gat

Abstract

Partial constriction of the main pulmonary artery in the cat resulted in right ventricular hypertrophy in all animals. Reduction of vessel lumen to approximately 20% of normal was associated with right ventricular hypertrophy without overt failure in surviving animals, while reduction of the lumen to 10% of normal resulted in severe congestive heart failure. Since the cat is suitable for hemodynamic measurements in the intact state, this preparation will permit such studies to be performed in animals with hypertrophy of the right ventricle in the presence and absence of heart failure. The contractile state of cardiac muscle from hypertrophied and falling hearts can be examined in detail under isolated and controlled conditions.