【Animal Modeling】-Analysis of Right Heart Function in Rats with Alkaline Pulmonary Hypertension

  Objective: To study the relationship between the evolution of pulmonary artery pressure and the evolution of right ventricular function.

  Methods: MCT-induced 4 groups of pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) model groups (12 animals in each group) were used to measure pulmonary artery pressure by right heart catheter at the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th weeks, and MRI right heart function dynamic Detect and observe the evolution relationship between pulmonary artery pressure and MRI parameters. The differences of related parameters between the control group and PAH model group were compared. SPSS 17.0 statistical software was used to evaluate the correlation between right ventricular ejection fraction, right ventricular end-diastolic volume, right ventricular end-systolic volume and mean pulmonary arterial pressure by Pearson correlation analysis. P<0.05 was considered significant difference.

  Results: From 1 to 4 weeks after injection of monocrotaline, the right ventricular ejection fraction, right ventricular diastolic and end-systolic volumes of 48 rats in the model group had a good correlation with the mean pulmonary artery pressure (rRVEF=-0.823, rRVEF=-0.823, rRVEDV=0.732, rRVESV=0.803). Two weeks before injection of monocrotaline, the mean pulmonary arterial pressure, right ventricular ejection fraction, right ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes in the monocrotaline group were not significantly different from those in the control group (P>0.05). After 3-4 weeks, the above parameters were significantly different from those in the control group (P<0.05).

  Conclusion: With the increase of pulmonary arterial pressure in rats, the right ventricular ejection fraction gradually decreases, and the right ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes gradually increase. For the monitoring of the rat model of chronic pulmonary hypertension, MRI can accurately and quickly measure the changes of various parameters. Parameters such as right ventricular end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes and ejection fraction are sensitive parameters that indicate pulmonary hypertension.