title: Adaptive capacity of the right ventricle: why does it fail?
abstract: Only in recent years has the right ventricle (RV) function become appreciated to be equally important to the left ventricle (LV) function to maintain cardiac output. Right ventricular failure is, irrespectively of the etiology, associated with impaired exercise tolerance and poor survival. Since the anatomy and physiology of the RV is distinctly different than that of the LV, its adaptive mechanisms and the pathways involved are different as well. RV hypertrophy is an important mechanism of the RV to preserve cardiac output. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the right ventricle and its response to pathologic situations. We will focus on the adaptive capacity of the right ventricle and the molecular pathways involved, and we will discuss potential therapeutic interventions.
authors: Department of Cardiology, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands; and Department of Cardiology, Heart Vessel Center, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors: Ella M
authors: EM
authors: Poels
authors: Department of Cardiology, CARIM School for Cardiovascular Diseases, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands; and.
authors: Paula A
authors: PA
authors: da Costa Martins
authors: Department of Cardiology, Heart Vessel Center, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands vanessa.van.empel@mumc.nl.
authors: Vanessa P M
authors: VP
authors: van Empel
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D017380:Hypertrophy, Right Ventricular / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy
keywords: heart failure; molecular; pulmonary hypertension; right ventricle; right ventricular failure