Relative Contributions of Matrix and Myocytes to Biaxial Mechanics of the Right Ventricle in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) commonly leads to right ventricular (RV) hypertrophy and fibrosis that affect the mechanical properties of the RV myocardium (MYO). To investigate the effects of PAH on the mechanics of the RV MYO and extracellular matrix (ECM), we compared RV wall samples, isolated from rats in which PAH was induced using the SuHx protocol, with samples from control animals before and after the tissues were decellularized. Planar biaxial mechanical testing, a technique first adapted to living soft biological tissues by Fung, was performed on intact and decellularized samples.