Single measurement of troponin T for early prediction of infarct size, congestive heart failure, and pulmonary hypertension in an animal model of myocardial infarction.
BACKGROUND
Early prediction of infarct size and of the subsequent development of congestive heart failure (CHF) and pulmonary hypertension (PH) would be useful in therapeutic trials using the rat myocardial infarction (MI) model.


METHODS
A total of 194 rats were subjected to MI or sham surgery, and plasma cardiac troponin T (cTnT) was measured 24 h after surgery in rats. Echocardiography was performed after 2 and 5 weeks. Hemodynamic and morphometric parameters were evaluated 5 weeks after MI.


RESULTS
cTnT had strong positive correlations with left ventricular (LV) wall motion abnormalities at 2 and 5 weeks (R=.85 and .89; P<.0001), and with histological infarct size (R=.87, P<.0001). cTnT ≥5.1 μg/l predicted LV wall motion abnormalities ≥ 30% with a sensitivity of 90.9% and specificity of 84.0%. Rats with cTnT≥5.1 μg/l developed PH [right ventricular (RV) systolic pressure 37 ± 3 vs. 23 ± 0.6 mmHg], RV hypertrophy (RV/LV+septum weight 42 ± 4% vs. 24 ± 0.5%), and lung structural remodeling (all P<.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Early single cTnT measurement correlates with infarct size in rats, and a cutoff value of 5.1 μg/l provides good sensitivity and specificity to predict CHF with secondary PH. cTnT could be used for treatment allocations in therapeutic trials of secondary pulmonary hypertension using this model.
Research Center, Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Bao Hua
BH
Jiang
Quang Trinh
QT
Nguyen
Jean-Claude
JC
Tardif
Yanfen
Y
Shi
Jocelyn
J
Dupuis
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017380:Hypertrophy, Right Ventricular / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D051381:Rats; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D020107:Troponin T / Q000097:blood*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right; D017725:Ventricular Pressure
D015415:Biomarkers; D020107:Troponin T