To compare the hemodynamic effects of a calcium-channel blocker with those of a conventional vasodilator in the awake preinstrumented dog, diltiazem and nitroprusside were administered in equihypotensive infusions before (decrease in mean aortic pressure by 10%; p less than .001, n = 6) and after (decrease in mean aortic pressure by 12%; p less than .001) chronic volume overload (CVO) produced ...

Gross and ultrastructural changes occurring in the left ventricle in response to chronic volume overload were studied in dogs. One group of dogs was examined 28-43 days after an aortocaval fistula had been created; congestive heart failure had developed at the time of the examination. Two other groups of dogs were investigated 78 ± 17 (SD) days and 178 ± 4 days after similar fistulas had been c...

RATIONALE In chronic heart failure, the lung endothelial permeability response to angiotensin II or thapsigargin-induced store depletion is ablated, although the mechanisms are not understood. OBJECTIVES To determine whether the ablated permeability response to store depletion during heart failure was due to impaired expression of store operated Ca2+ channels in lung endothelium. METHODS He...

Gross and ultrastructural changes occurring in the left ventricle in response to chronic volume overload were studied in dogs. One group of dogs was examined 28-43 days after an aortocaval fistula had been created; congestive heart failure had developed at the time of the examination. Two other groups of dogs were investigated 78 ± 17 (SD) days and 178 ± 4 days after similar fistulas had been c...

The presence of systemic left-to-right shunt and increased pulmonary blood flow can result in right heart failure and pulmonary arteriopathy. Correction of left-to-right shunt has been shown to improve cardiac function and physical performance. However, the cardiopulmonary remodeling processes following cessation of left-to-right shunt have yet to be reported. In this experimental study, excess...

Previously, our laboratory demonstrated that cardiac mast cell degranulation induces adverse ventricular remodeling in response to chronic volume overload. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), which is known to be elevated in chronic volume overload, causes cardiac mast cell degranulation. Relative to control, ANP induced significant histamine r...

Chronic increased pulmonary blood flow is considered a pre-requisite for the induction of advanced vascular lesions in pulmonary arterial hypertension in congenital heart defects. The aim of the present study was to characterise the effects of increased pulmonary flow induced by an aortocaval shunt in the monocrotaline rat model for pulmonary hypertension in terms of survival, haemodynamics, pa...