Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 29, 2026

Permanent Ligation of the Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery in Mice: A Model of Post-myocardial Infarction Remodelling and Heart Failure
09:37

Permanent Ligation of the Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery in Mice: A Model of Post-myocardial Infarction Remodelling and Heart Failure

Published on: December 2, 2014

Functional disturbances due to structural remodeling in the failing human heart

S Hein1, A Elsässer, S Kostin

  • 1Department of Cardiac Surgery, Kerckhoff Clinic, Bad Nauheim, Germany.

Archives Des Maladies Du Coeur Et Des Vaisseaux
|November 1, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Severe heart enlargement causes structural remodeling, leading to heart failure. This involves cell changes, fibrosis, and altered protein expression, ultimately impairing heart function.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Biology
  • Pathology
  • Molecular Cardiology

Background:

  • Severe cardiac hypertrophy is a precursor to heart failure.
  • Structural remodeling is a continuous process in hypertrophied hearts.
  • Remodeling affects all cardiomyocyte components, leading to functional decline.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To detail the structural remodeling processes in severely hypertrophied hearts.
  • To correlate morphological alterations with clinical heart failure characteristics.
  • To investigate protein expression changes during cardiac remodeling.

Main Methods:

  • Morphological analysis of cardiomyocytes.
  • Assessment of protein expression and localization.
  • Evaluation of cell death pathways (autophagy, oncosis, apoptosis).

Main Results:

  • Cellular enlargement with degeneration and fibrosis observed.
  • Nuclei enlarged, but nuclear volume/cell volume ratio decreased.
  • Downregulation of contractile/sarcomeric proteins; upregulation of cytoskeletal/membrane proteins.
  • Connexin43 significantly reduced; cell death via autophagy and oncosis.

Conclusions:

  • Structural remodeling in hypertrophy involves cellular, nuclear, and protein changes.
  • Altered protein expression and cell death pathways contribute to heart failure.
  • Morphological changes correlate with reduced contractility, increased stiffness, and arrhythmia.

More Related Videos

Scanning Electron Microscopy of Macerated Tissue to Visualize the Extracellular Matrix10:21

Scanning Electron Microscopy of Macerated Tissue to Visualize the Extracellular Matrix

Published on: June 14, 2016

A Model of Cardiac Remodeling Through Constriction of the Abdominal Aorta in Rats07:31

A Model of Cardiac Remodeling Through Constriction of the Abdominal Aorta in Rats

Published on: December 2, 2016

Related Concept Videos

Pathophysiology of Heart Failure01:17

Pathophysiology of Heart Failure

Heart failure (HF) is a progressive syndrome involving ventricles that leads to inadequate cardiac output. It can be classified based on location and output or ejection fraction. Ejection fraction (EF) is an essential measurement in the diagnosis and surveillance of HF. Reduced EF corresponds to systolic heart failure (HFrEF). However, HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is becoming increasingly prevalent. Also known as diastolic HF, this form of HF is related to aging. The...
Imbalances in Cardiac Output01:26

Imbalances in Cardiac Output

The heart's primary function is to pump blood throughout the body, maintaining a balance between blood sent out (cardiac output) and blood returning (venous return). If this balance is disrupted, it can result in congestive heart failure (CHF), a severe condition where the heart becomes an inefficient pump, leading to inadequate blood circulation.
CHF can occur due to the failure of either side of the heart. Left-side failure leads to pulmonary congestion—the right side continues to send blood...
Mitral Regurgitation I: Introduction01:20

Mitral Regurgitation I: Introduction

Mitral regurgitation is characterized by the backward circulation of blood from the left ventricle to the left atrium during systole, a phase of the cardiac cycle when the heart contracts and pumps blood out of the chambers. This abnormal flow occurs primarily due to the dysfunction of the mitral valve or its supporting structures, which include the mitral leaflets, chordae tendineae, annulus, and papillary muscles.Etiology and Mechanisms:Primary Mitral Regurgitation: This type arises from...
Heart Failure I: Introduction01:27

Heart Failure I: Introduction

Heart failure refers to a clinical syndrome caused by structural or functional cardiac disorders that prevent the heart from pumping an adequate amount of blood to meet the body's metabolic needs. This condition often arises from myocardial infarction or ischemia, leading to decreased cardiac output, reduced tissue perfusion, impaired gas exchange, fluid volume imbalance, and decreased functional ability.Heart failure can result from disruptions in the mechanisms that regulate cardiac output...
Heart Failure II: Pathophysiology01:29

Heart Failure II: Pathophysiology

Systolic Heart Failure and Compensatory MechanismsSystolic heart failure (also termed HFrEF, Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction) is the most prevalent type of heart filure. It results in a decreased volume of blood being pumped from the ventricle. The aortic arch and carotid sinuses have baroreceptors that detect reduced blood pressure, triggering the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) to release epinephrine and norepinephrine. Initially, this response aims to boost heart rate and...
Heart Failure IV: Classification and Diagnostic Evaluation01:30

Heart Failure IV: Classification and Diagnostic Evaluation

Heart failure can be classified in various ways, with the most common classifications based on physical activity limitations, disease progression, severity, and treatment strategies.The Functional Classification of Heart Failure divides patients into four categories based on physical activity limitation due to symptom burden.Class I: Patients in this class have cardiac disease but no physical activity limitations. Ordinary activities like walking, climbing stairs, or routine tasks do not cause...