Feature-Tracking Method Can Estimate Right Ventricular Contractile Properties in Rats With Pulmonary Hypertension

Right ventricular (RV) function is a prognostic factor in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has been used to assess RV function. However, it is not determined whether RV longitudinal strain (LS) with a feature-tracking method can accurately assess RV contractility. In this study, feature-tracking-based RVLS and RV ejection fraction (RVEF) were compared with contractile properties of RV muscle obtained from rat hearts with PAH.

Monocrotaline (MCT-rats, n=19) or solvent (Ctr-rats, n=4) was injected subcutaneously into rats. Four weeks after the injection, retrospective electrocardiogram-gated cine magnetic resonance (8 phases/beat) was imaged using a 7-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner and RV pressure was measured. Trabeculae were dissected from the RV and electrically stimulated. Force was measured and maximum dF/dt was calculated as a parameter of contractile properties. Compared with Ctr-rats, MCT-rats showed higher systolic RV pressure. RVLS in all MCT-rats was lower than that in Ctr-rats, while RVEF was preserved (>40%) in 8 out of 16 MCT-rats. MCT-rats showed lower developed force and maximum dF/dt than Ctr-rats. Maximum dF/dt was linearly correlated with RVLS. In contrast, whether RVEF was preserved, maximum dF/dt was decreased in MCT-rats.

The present study suggests that RVLS with a feature-tracking method can assess RV contractile properties more accurately than RVEF in rats with PAH. It is useful to estimate the RV function based on feature tracking.