Hemodynamic characteristics of the right ventricle following gradient pulmonary artery banding in rats

Right ventricle/ventricular (RV) failure induced by sustained pressure overload is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality in several cardiopulmonary disorders. Reliable and reproducible animal models of RV failure are crucial for investigating disease mechanisms and the effects of potential therapeutic strategies. In the present study, in order to establish a rat model of acute RV failure, the hemodynamic characteristics of the RV and the carotid artery in rats with varying degrees of pulmonary artery banding (PAB) were analyzed. For this purpose, rats were divided into 6 groups as follows: The control (0%), PAB (1‑30%), PAB (31‑60%), PAB (61‑70%), PAB (71‑80%), or PAB (100%). RV pressure (RVP) was measured using right heart catheterization when the pulmonary artery was ligated. The results revealed that the RVP gradually increased with the increasing degrees of banding; however, when the occlusion level exceeded 70%, a high‑pressure state was only maintained for a few minutes or seconds, and the RVP then rapidly declined to below normal pressure levels, which was particularly evident in the PAB (100%) group. On the whole, the present study demonstrates that RVP responds differently to changes in the occlusion level, and that >70% ligation is a successful model of acute right heart failure. These results may have important implications for therapeutic strategies to prevent acute right heart failure.