[The role of polycythemia in the pathogenesis of hypoxic myocardial hypertrophy].

Either chronic hypoxia or polycythemia induced by CoCl2 injection resulted in an increase of RBC, Hb, Hct and blood viscosity at different shear rate. There was an increase of right ventricular systolic and end diastolic pressure, +/- dp/dtmax, Vmax and right weight index, as compared with the control rats. Chronic hypoxia combined with polycythemia induced by CoCl2 injection further augmented the above parameters except Vmax of RV, and caused an increase of left ventricular weight index. The positive correlation was seen between the RV weight index and Hct. The above results prove that polycythemia might play important role in pathogenesis of hypoxic myocardial hypertrophy.