Abstract
Male guinea pigs were exposed continuously to 5°C for 2–18 weeks (BW=239–1074 g) or to an ambientPO2=80 mm Hg for 2–14 weeks (BW=244–965g). Control guinea pigs were kept at 22°C and an average ambientPO2 of 133 mm Hg.
The right and the left ventricular free walls were separated from the septum and weighed (RVW and LVW). Myoglobin concentrations [Mb] of the right and the left ventricles were measured. In all animals, total heart weights (THW), RVW and LVW were linearly related to BW. In the control animals, ventricular [Mb] increased with BW for 2–3 weeks after birth but remained unchanged thereafter. In the 5°C animals, after 4 weeks of exposure, [Mb] in the right and the left ventricles was significantly higher than that of the controls. THW also was significantly higher in the 5°C animals. Furthermore, this cold-induced cardiac hypertrophy was due to both right and left ventricular hypertrophy. In hypoxia-acclimated animals, after 14 weeks of exposure toPO2=80 mm Hg, the [Mb] of the RV was significantly higher than that of the controls, whereas there was no significant difference between the [Mb] of the LV of the control and hypoxic animals. THW was significantly higher in the hypoxic guinea pigs than in the controls or the 5°C animals. The hypoxia-induced cardiac hypertrophy was due to a marked right ventricular hypertrophy while LVW was significantly lower in the hypoxic animals than in the controls
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Van Bui, M., Banchero, N. Effects of chronic exposure to cold or hypoxia on ventricular weights and ventricular myoglobin concentrations in guinea pigs during growth. Pflugers Arch. 385, 155–160 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00588696
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00588696