Pathological analysis of the right ventricular hypertrophy and ventricular interdependence in autopsied hearts with cor pulmonale and pulmonary hypertensive rat hearts.

Thirty autopsied hearts with cor pulmonale and 20 experimental pulmonary hypertensive rat hearts were analysed macroscopically and histometrically. In autopsied hearts with cor pulmonale, right ventricle dilatated in oblique length, and right ventricular wall thickness significantly increased at pulmonary conus (PC) and posterior wall of right ventricle (RVP) compared with that at anterior wall of right ventricle (RVA). Mean diameters of myocardial fibers at PC, RVP, right ventricular side of interventricular septum (IVR) and mid layer of interventricular septum (IVM) significantly increased compared with that at mid layer of left ventricular wall (LVM). The wet weight and the diameter of myocardial fibers in right ventricle (RV) significantly correlated with those in interventricular septum (IVS). In pulmonary hypertensive rats, wet weights of RV and IVS increased significantly with the elevation of mean pulmonary arterial pressure. The diameters of myocardial fibers increased at RVP, RVA, IVR and IVM. There was no significant cardiac hypertrophy in left ventricle (LV), either microscopically or macroscopically. These results suggest that IVS responded morphometrically rather than in concord with RV but not with LV in the cor pulmonale heart.