Assessing the Effect of Cardiac Gene Therapy Using Catheter-Based Pressure-Volume Measurement in Large Animals

Gene therapy for heart failure targets various pathways that modulate cardiac function. Its detailed evaluation is crucial for proving the efficacy of cardiac gene therapies. Parameters that can be obtained by noninvasive approaches are generally influenced by loading conditions of the heart. In contrast, catheter-based left ventricular pressure-volume assessment provides a unique option to minimally invasively assess intrinsic myocardial function in a load-insensitive manner. In this chapter, we describe procedural steps for performing pressure-volume measurements and analysis in a preclinical large animal model.