BACKGROUND Cardiac hypertrophy is considered a necessary compensatory response to sustained elevations of left ventricular (LV) wall stress. METHODS AND RESULTS To test this, we inhibited calcineurin with cyclosporine (CsA) in the setting of surgically induced pressure overload in mice and examined in vivo parameters of ventricular volume and function using echocardiography. Normalized heart ...

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether structural left ventricular (LV) abnormalities can be observed in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) mutation carriers who have not yet developed echocardiographic signs of hypertrophy by using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). BACKGROUND Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is caused by mutations of genes encoding for sarcomeric prot...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and geometry on the diagnostic accuracy of wall motion and additional perfusion imaging during high-dose dobutamine/atropine stress magnetic resonance for the detection of coronary artery disease. METHODS AND RESULTS Combined dobutamine stress magnetic resonance (DSMR)-wall motion and DSMR...

AIM To compare the effects of four antihypertensive drugs, which have reportedly different effectiveness in reducing myocardial mass. METHODS A randomized, double-blind, prospective study included 80 hypertensive patients with left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy confirmed both electrocardiographically and echocardiographically. We investigated the effects of indapamide, nicardipine, propranolol...

The development of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH) can be affected by diet manipulation. Concentric LVH resulting from pressure overload can be worsened by feeding rats with a high-fructose diet. Eccentric LVH is a different type of hypertrophy and is associated with volume overload (VO) diseases. The impact of an abnormal diet on the development of eccentric LVH and on ventricular func...

To elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying estrogen-mediated cardioprotection in left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and remodeling, we analyzed myocardial hypertrophy as well as cardiac function and hypertrophy-related protein expression in ovariectomized, aortic-banded rats. Wistar rats subjected to bilateral ovariectomy (OVX) were further treated with abdominal aortic stenosis. Effects on...

BACKGROUND Neuregulins are a family of peptide growth factors that promote cell growth and viability. The potential role of neuregulin-erbB signaling in hypertrophic growth and later failure in the adult heart in vivo is not known. METHODS AND RESULTS We used ribonuclease protection assays to quantify mRNA levels of neuregulin, erbB2, and erbB4 in left ventricular (LV) tissue and myocytes of ...

Cardiac adaptation to high-intensity exercise is well recognized and often termed the athlete’s heart. The characteristic features of athlete’s heart are increased left ventricular (LV) volume, increased LV wall thickness and mass, resting bradycardia, and ECG repolarization abnormalities. These changes are particularly associated with endurance training causing eccentric LV hypertrophy, wherea...

Letters to the Editor will be published, if suitable, as space permits. They should not exceed 1000 words (typed double-spaced) in length and may be subject to editing or abridgment. To the Editor: In their prospective study, Gaddam et al 1 have examined the effects of spironolactone on cardiac structure in 34 patients with resistant hypertension who were separated according to their plasma ald...

Cardiac adaptation to high-intensity exercise is well recognized and often termed the athlete’s heart. The characteristic features of athlete’s heart are increased left ventricular (LV) volume, increased LV wall thickness and mass, resting bradycardia, and ECG repolarization abnormalities. These changes are particularly associated with endurance training causing eccentric LV hypertrophy, wherea...