Induction and Phenotyping of Acute Right Heart Failure in a Large Animal Model of Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension

Summary

We present a protocol to induce and phenotype an acute right heart failure in a large animal model with chronic pulmonary hypertension. This model can be used to test therapeutic interventions, to develop right heart metrics or to improve the understanding of acute right heart failure pathophysiology.

Abstract

The development of acute right heart failure (ARHF) in the context of chronic pulmonary hypertension (PH) is associated with poor short-term outcomes. The morphological and functional phenotyping of the right ventricle is of particular importance in the context of hemodynamic compromise in patients with ARHF. Here, we describe a method to induce ARHF in a previously described large animal model of chronic PH, and to phenotype, dynamically, right ventricular function using the gold standard method (i.e., pressure-volume PV loops) and with a non-invasive clinically available method (i.e., echocardiography). Chronic PH is first induced in pigs by left pulmonary artery ligation and right lower lobe embolism with biological glue once a week for 5 weeks. After 16 weeks, ARHF is induced by successive volume loading using saline followed by iterative pulmonary embolism until the ratio of the systolic pulmonary pressure over systemic pressure reaches 0.9 or until the systolic systemic pressure decreases below 90 mmHg. Hemodynamics are restored with dobutamine infusion (from 2.5 µg/kg/min to 7.5 µg/kg/min). PV-loops and echocardiography are performed during each condition. Each condition requires around 40 minutes for induction, hemodynamic stabilization and data acquisition. Out of 9 animals, 2 died immediately after pulmonary embolism and 7 completed the protocol, which illustrates the learning curve of the model. The model induced a 3-fold increase in mean pulmonary artery pressure. The PV-loop analysis showed that ventriculo-arterial coupling was preserved after volume loading, decreased after acute pulmonary embolism and was restored with dobutamine. Echocardiographic acquisitions allowed to quantify right ventricular parameters of morphology and function with good quality. We identified right ventricular ischemic lesions in the model. The model can be used to compare different treatments or to validate non-invasive parameters of right ventricular morphology and function in the context of ARHF.

Introduction

Acute right heart failure (ARHF) has been recently defined as a rapidly progressive syndrome with systemic congestion resulting from impaired right ventricular (RV) filling and/or reduced RV flow output¹. ARHF may occur in several conditions such as left-sided heart failure, acute pulmonary embolism, acute myocardial infarction or pulmonary hypertension (PH). In the case of PH, ARHF onset is associated with a 40% risk of short-term mortality or urgent lung transplantation^2,3,4. Here, we describe how to create a large animal model of ARHF in the setting....

Protocol

The study complied with the principles of laboratory animal care according to the National Society for Medical Research and was approved by the local ethic committee for animal experiments at Hospital Marie Lannelongue.

1. Chronic thromboembolic PH

1. Induce chronic thromboembolic PH as previously described^6,12.
2. Briefly, induce a model of chronic thrombo-embolic PH in around 20 kg large white pigs (sus scrofa). Perform a ligature of the left pulmonary artery ligation through a left thoracotomy at week 0 (closed pericardium); and perform weekly an emboliza....

Results

Feasibility
We describe the results of 9 consecutive procedures of ARHF induction in a large animal CTEPH model previously reported⁵. The duration of the protocol was around 6 hours to complete, including anesthesia induction, installation, vascular access/catheter placements, induction of volume/pressure overload and hemodynamic restoration, data acquisitions and euthanasia. Each hemodynamic condition requires around 40 minutes to achieve indu.......

Discussion

We describe a method to model major pathophysiological features of ARHF on chronic PH in a large animal model including volume and pressure overload and hemodynamic restoration with dobutamine. We also reported how to acquire hemodynamic and imaging data to phenotype the dynamic changes of the right ventricle at each condition created during the protocol. These methods can provide background data to build up future research protocols in the field of ARHF, particularly regarding fluid management and inotropic support.

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Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Radiofocus Introducer II	Terumo	RS+B80K10MQ	catheter sheath
Equalizer, Occlusion Ballon Catheter	Boston Scientific	M001171080	ballon for inferior vena cava occlusion
Guidewire	Terumo	GR3506	0.035; angled
Vigilance monitor	Edwards	VGS2V	Swan-Ganz associated monitor
Swan-Ganz	Edwards	131F7	Swan-Ganz catheter 7 F; usable lenghth 110 cm
Echocardiograph; Model: Vivid 9	General Electrics	GAD000810 and H45561FG	Echocardiograph
Probe for echo, M5S-D	General Electrics	M5S-D	Cardiac ultrasound transducer
MPVS-ultra Foundation system	Millar	PL3516B49	Pressure-volume loop unit; includes a powerLab16/35, MPVS-Ultra PV Unit, bioamp and bridge amp and cables
Ventricath 507	Millar	VENTRI-CATH-507	conductance catheter
Lipiodol ultra-fluid	Guerbet	306 216-0	lipidic contrast dye
BD Insyte Autoguard	Becton, Dickinson and Company	381847	IV catheter
Arcadic Varic	Siemens	A91SC-21000-1T-1-7700	C-arm
Prolene 5.0	Ethicon	F1830	polypropilene monofil