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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 287/6/H2762    most recent 00501.2004v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (1) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Gibbs, M. Articles by Woodiwiss, A. J. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Gibbs, M. Articles by Woodiwiss, A. J.

Chronic -adrenoreceptor activation increases cardiac cavity size through chamber remodeling and not via modifications in myocardial material properties

Cardiovascular Pathophysiology and Genomics Research Unit, School of Physiology, University of the Witwatersrand Medical School, 2193 Johannesburg, South Africa

Submitted 1 June 2004 ; accepted in final form 9 August 2004

Chronic -adrenoreceptor (-AR) activation increases left ventricular (LV) cavity size by promoting a rightward shift in LV diastolic pressure-volume (P-V) relations in association with increases in low-tensile strength myocardial (non-cross-linked) collagen concentrations. Because diastolic P-V relations are determined by chamber remodeling as well as by myocardial material properties (indexed by myocardial stiffness), both of which are associated with modifications in myocardial collagen cross-linking, we evaluated whether chamber remodeling or alterations in myocardial material properties govern -AR-mediated modifications in diastolic P-V relations. The effects of chronic administration of isoproterenol (Iso; 0.04 mg·kg^–1·day^–1 from 12 to 19 mo of age) to spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) on LV cavity dimensions, LV diastolic P-V relations, myocardial collagen characteristics, myocardial stiffness constants [e.g., the slope of the LV diastolic stress-strain relation (k)], and LV chamber and myocardial systolic function were assessed. SHRs at 19 mo of age had normal LV diastolic P-V relations, marked myocardial fibrosis (using a pathological score), increased myocardial cross-linked (insoluble to cyanogen bromide digestion) type I and type III collagen concentrations, and enhanced myocardial k values. Iso administration to SHRs resulted in enlarged LV cavity dimensions mediated by a rightward shift in LV diastolic P-V relations, increased volume intercept of the LV diastolic P-V relation, decreased LV relative wall thickness despite a tendency to augment LV hypertrophy, and increased non-cross-linked type I and type III myocardial collagen concentrations. Iso administration resulted in reduced pump function without modification of intrinsic myocardial systolic function. However, despite increasing myocardial non-cross-linked concentrations, Iso failed to alter myocardial k in SHRs. These results suggest that -AR-mediated rightward shifts in LV diastolic P-V relations, which induce decreased pump function, are mediated by chamber remodeling but not by modifications in myocardial material properties.

cardiomyopathy; collagen; pump dysfunction; stiffness