During pregnancy, an increase in blood volume occurs to compensate for fetal development, resulting in cardiac hypertrophy. For the majority of women, this physiological cardiac hypertrophy resolves following pregnancy. Prolonged cardiac hypertrophy can lead to heart failure. We propose that by studying the biochemical mechanisms that mediate healthy cardiac remodeling associated with pregnancy, we will gain a better understanding of mechanisms involved in pathological cardiac hypertrophy. To determine the biochemical changes that occur during pregnancy induced cardiac remodeling, we subjected rats to timed matings and collected morphological and biochemical data from not pregnant, 19 days pregnant, and 24 hours postpartum. The heart weights increased approximately 6% on the 19th day of pregnancy as compared to their non-pregnant littermates. Histological analysis confirmed an increase in cardiomyocyte size associated with the increase in heart size. Real-time PCR analysis revealed alterations in expression of some gene markers of hypertrophy during pregnancy and postpartum. Our data demonstrates pregnancy induced cardiac remodeling in the rat involves both morphological and biochemical changes.
","abstract_html":"<p>During pregnancy, an increase in blood volume occurs to compensate for fetal development, resulting in cardiac hypertrophy. For the majority of women, this physiological cardiac hypertrophy resolves following pregnancy. Prolonged cardiac hypertrophy can lead to heart failure. We propose that by studying the biochemical mechanisms that mediate healthy cardiac remodeling associated with pregnancy, we will gain a better understanding of mechanisms involved in pathological cardiac hypertrophy. To determine the biochemical changes that occur during pregnancy induced cardiac remodeling, we subjected rats to timed matings and collected morphological and biochemical data from not pregnant, 19 days pregnant, and 24 hours postpartum. The heart weights increased approximately 6% on the 19th day of pregnancy as compared to their non-pregnant littermates. Histological analysis confirmed an increase in cardiomyocyte size associated with the increase in heart size. Real-time PCR analysis revealed alterations in expression of some gene markers of hypertrophy during pregnancy and postpartum. Our data demonstrates pregnancy induced cardiac remodeling in the rat involves both morphological and biochemical changes. </p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Holden, Patricia"],"institution":"Eastern Kentucky University","degree_name":"Master of Science (MS)","degree_level":"Master's","degree_discipline":"Biological Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:13Z","subjects":["Cardiac","Cardiac Hypertrophy","Gene Expression","Hypertrophy","miRNA","Pregnancy","Molecular Biology"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright 2011 Patricia Holden"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/35","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Holden, Patricia"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biological Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Master's"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (MS)"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Eastern Kentucky University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Cardiac","Cardiac Hypertrophy","Gene Expression","Hypertrophy","miRNA","Pregnancy","Molecular Biology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright 2011 Patricia Holden"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/35"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["During pregnancy, an increase in blood volume occurs to compensate for fetal development, resulting in cardiac hypertrophy. For the majority of women, this physiological cardiac hypertrophy resolves following pregnancy. Prolonged cardiac hypertrophy can lead to heart failure. We propose that by studying the biochemical mechanisms that mediate healthy cardiac remodeling associated with pregnancy, we will gain a better understanding of mechanisms involved in pathological cardiac hypertrophy. To determine the biochemical changes that occur during pregnancy induced cardiac remodeling, we subjected rats to timed matings and collected morphological and biochemical data from not pregnant, 19 days pregnant, and 24 hours postpartum. The heart weights increased approximately 6% on the 19th day of pregnancy as compared to their non-pregnant littermates. Histological analysis confirmed an increase in cardiomyocyte size associated with the increase in heart size. Real-time PCR analysis revealed alterations in expression of some gene markers of hypertrophy during pregnancy and postpartum. Our data demonstrates pregnancy induced cardiac remodeling in the rat involves both morphological and biochemical changes.
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"],"dc:format":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier":["https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/35"],"dc:publisher":["Encompass Digital Archive, Eastern Kentucky University"],"dc:rights":["Copyright 2011 Patricia Holden"],"dc:source":["Encompass Digital Archive: Online Theses and Dissertations"],"dc:subject":["Cardiac","Cardiac Hypertrophy","Gene Expression","Hypertrophy","miRNA","Pregnancy","Molecular Biology"],"dc:title":["Characterization Of Pregnancy Induced Cardiac Hypertrophy In Rats"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biological Sciences"],"thesis:degree_level":["Master's"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (MS)"],"thesis:institution_name":["Eastern Kentucky University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:15:13Z"}