A reproducible model of cardiac hypertrophy in rats. Problems and obstacles we faced.

ABSTRACT

AIM: To develop a reproducible model of significant left ventricular hypertrophy in order to study the role played by the tumor suppressor protein 53 (P53) in the mechanisms of cardiac hypertrophy, the cross-talk with the other factors and the connection between expression and activity of P53, cardiac myocyte apoptosis and heart hypertrophy; to discuss the problems and obstacles we faced. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were used in the experiments. Left ventricular hypertrophy was induced by banding the abdominal aorta. Three series of the experiment were performed differing in the place of banding and the size of constriction in order to find the most suitable model for our further research. RESULTS: Forty five days after banding the abdominal aorta just below the diaphragm the cardiac index increased by 30% in comparison with that in the controls. CONCLUSION: We have developed a reproducible model of significant left ventricular hypertrophy in rats. The main advantages of the model are a) it is technically simple; b) it may be realised in any laboratory all over the world; c) it allows the most common lab animals (male Wistar rats) to be used for studies without having to be subjected to thoracotomy and hence requiring a long recovery period.