Reversible pulmonary trunk banding: Myocardial vascular endothelial growth factor expression in young goats submitted to ventricular retraining

BACKGROUND: Ventricle retraining has been extensively studied by our laboratory. Previous studies have demonstrated that intermittent overload causes a more efficient ventricular hypertrophy. The adaptive mechanisms involved in the ventricle retraining are not completely established. This study assessed vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in the ventricles of goats submitted to systolic overload. METHODS: Twenty-one young goats were divided into 3 groups (7 animals each): control, 96-hour continuous systolic overload, and intermittent systolic overload (four 12-hour periods of systolic overload paired with 12-hour resting period). During the 96-hour protocol, systolic overload was adjusted to achieve a right ventricular (RV) / aortic pressure ratio of 0.7. Hemodynamic evaluations were performed daily before and after systolic overload. Echocardiograms were obtained preoperatively and at protocol end to measure cardiac masses thickness. At study end, the animals were killed for morphologic evaluation and immunohistochemical assessment of VEGF expression. RESULTS: RV-trained groups developed hypertrophy of RV and septal masses, confirmed by increased weight and thickness, as expected. In the study groups, there was a small but significantly increased water content of the RV and septum compared with those in the control group (p<0.002). VEGF expression in the RV myocardium was greater in the intermittent group (2.89% ± 0.41%) than in the continuous (1.80% ± 0.19%) and control (1.43% ± 0.18%) groups (p<0.023). CONCLUSIONS: Intermittent systolic overload promotes greater upregulation of VEGF expression in the subpulmonary ventricle, an adaptation that provides a mechanism for increased myocardial perfusion during the rapid myocardial hypertrophy of young goats.