Differential Right and Left
Ventricular Diastolic Tolerance to Acute Afterload and NCX Gene
Expression in Wistar Rats
J. CORREIA PINTO, T. HENRIQUES-COELHO,
R. RONCON-ALBUQUERQUE Jr, A. F. LEITE-MOREIRA
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of
Porto, Porto, Portugal.
Received date August 12, 2005
Accepted date December 11, 2005
On-line available December 12, 2005
Summary
This study evaluated right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular
(LV) diastolic tolerance to afterload and SERCA2a, phospholamban
and sodium-calcium exchanger (NCX) gene expression in Wistar
rats. Time constant and end diastolic pressure-dimension
relation (EDPDR) were analyzed in response to progressive RV or
LV afterload elevations, induced by beat-to-beat pulmonary trunk
or aortic root constrictions, respectively. Afterload elevations
decreased LV-, but increased RV-. Whereas LV- analyzed the
major course of pressure fall, RV- only assessed the last
fourth. Furthermore, RV afterload elevations progressively
upward shifted RV EDPDR, whilst LV afterload elevations did not
change LV-EDPDR. SERCA2a and phospholamban mRNA were similar in
both ventricles. NCX-mRNA was almost 50 % lower in RV than in
LV. Left ventricular afterload elevations, therefore,
accelerated the pressure fall and did not induce diastolic
dysfunction, indicating high LV diastolic tolerance to
afterload. On the contrary, RV afterload elevations decelerated
the late RV pressure fall and induced diastolic dysfunction,
indicating small RV diastolic tolerance to afterload. These
results support previous findings relating NCX with late Ca2+
reuptake, late relaxation and diastolic dysfunction.
Key words
Gene expression • Hemodynamics • Na/Ca-exchanger • Ventricular
function • Diastole
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