Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 4, 2026

Evaluation of Right Ventricular Function in Experimental Models of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Published on: June 27, 2025
Nimura lecture: why are you evaluating RV function in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension?
1Department of Cardiology, Nihon University Itabashi Hospital, 30-1 Oyaguchikami-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-8610, Japan. katsu.takenaka@gmail.com.
Abstract:
LV is a pressure-generating pump which endures pressure overload, while RV is a flow-generating pump intolerant of pressure overload. Therefore, RV pump function (but not RV myocardial contractility) can easily fail in face of severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PH) because of increased afterload. Available indexes of RV function are load dependent and incapable of accurately reflecting RV myocardial contractility. Animal RV in which myocardium is damaged extensively by either soldering iron or coronary occlusion can work well without causing systemic congestion or decreased SV. In clinical settings, evaluation of pre-treatment RV function in patients with PH has limited value in predicting prognosis. Furthermore, in virtually all patients with PH after successful lung transplantation, RV function has been reported to improve indicating that deteriorated RV function in patients with PH is due to an increase in RV afterload, but not to decreased RV myocardial contractility. In view of these facts, evaluation of RV function seems hardly useful in patients with PH.
More Related Videos
07:38Comprehensive Echocardiographic Assessment of Right Ventricle Function in a Rat Model of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Published on: January 20, 2023
07:02A Large Animal Model for Pulmonary Hypertension and Right Ventricular Failure: Left Pulmonary Artery Ligation and Progressive Main Pulmonary Artery Banding in Sheep
Published on: July 15, 2021
Related Concept Videos
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors
Among the PDE5 inhibitors, sildenafil (Revatio) stands out as a competitive and selective inhibitor. It operates by elevating cellular levels of cGMP and augmenting signaling through the cGMP-PKG pathway, promoting vasodilation. Upon oral...
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Endothelin Receptor Antagonists
ETs are synthesized through a complex sequence of enzymatic steps, primarily involving an enzyme referred to as endothelin-converting enzyme...
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Prostacyclin Receptor Agonists
These agonists bind to the IPR receptor situated on the plasma membrane of the pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells. This binding triggers a cascade of reactions known as the GS-AC-cAMP-PKA pathway. This pathway results in the relaxation of smooth muscle...
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Oxygen Therapy for Respiratory Failure
Oxygen therapy is vital in increasing and maintaining blood oxygen levels in PAH patients. As a result, it aids in reducing fatigue,...
Pulmonary Hypertension: Classification and Pathogenesis
There are various classifications for PH, each relating to different underlying causes and also...
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers
TKIs, such as imatinib (Gleevec), are particularly effective in tackling the growth and mitogenic factors that become upregulated in PAH patients. These factors contribute to the...