The Evaluation of Ventricular Hypertrophy in Right Ventricular Pressure Overload Rat Model by Electrocardiogram

  • Young Kuk Cho, Korea
  • Hwa Jin Cho, Department of Pediatrics, Chonnam National University Medical School, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Korea
  • Woo-Yeon Choi, Department of Pediatrics, Chonnam National University Medical School, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Korea
  • Gwang-Hyun Eum, Department of Pharmacology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
  • Hyun Kook, Department of Pharmacology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea
  • Jae-Sook Ma, Korea

    • Objective : As cardiac surgery advances, congenital heart patients might have long-term complications such as right ventricular (RV) failure. RV hypertrophy in animal models are evaluated by measuring the heart and by Western or PCR. The authors used electrocardiogram (ECG) to evaluate RV hypertrophy in rat model.
    Method: 3-week-old rats (n=52) were divided into control (n=24) and RV pressure overload group (n=28). Of latter group, 14 were injected monocrotaline (30mg/kg) to obtain pulmonary hypertension (MCT group), and the remaining 14 had pulmonary artery banding (PAB group). ECG was performed 3 times over 1 week.
    Results: The ratio of RV free wall and the body weight of MCT group (1.56 ± 0.32 mg/g) (p <0.01) and PAB group (1.97 ± 0.41 mg/g) (p <0.01) were increased compared to control group (0.87 ± 0.09 mg/g). The 7th day ECG showed reversed T wave in lead V1 and the 14th day ECG showed high amplitude of P wave in lead II and reversed T wave in lead V1 in the PAB group compare to control. The 21th day ECG revealed high amplitude of T wave in lead I, of P wave in lead II, of R wave in lead aVL, of S wave in lead aVF, of P and S wave in lead V1, of T wave in lead V6 and it also revealed reversed T wave in lead V1 in the PAB group.
    Conclusion: ECG may determine the RV hypertrophy in RV pressure overload rat model.