[Prostaglandins, cyclic nucleotides and heart adaptation to acute and chronic pressure overload].

The content of prostaglandins (PGs) and cyclic nucleotides was determined in the rat heart at different time following coarctation of the abdominal aorta. The animals were divided into three groups according to the rate and degree of hypertrophy. The rats with the best adaptability (the highest level of hypertrophy) showed the highest myocardial PG content. An increase in myocardial weight in response to the overload correlated with an enhancement in PGE/PGF2 ratio. The relationship between the myocardial levels of PGs and cyclic nucleotides during the period of adaptation was also observed. Prostaglandins are suggested to play an important role in the heart adaptation to pressure overloads.