Microvascular dysfunction in heart transplantation is associated with altered cardiomyocyte mitochondrial structure and unimpaired excitation-contraction coupling.

Introduction: Microvascular dysfunction (MVD) is a hallmark feature of chronic graft dysfunction in patients that underwent orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) and is the main contributor to impaired long-term graft survival. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of MVD on functional and structural properties of cardiomyocytes isolated from ventricular biopsies of OHT patients.

Methods: We included 14 patients post-OHT, who had been transplanted for 8.