Physiology: postprandial cardiac hypertrophy in pythons.

Johnnie B Andersen; Bryan C Rourke; Vincent J Caiozzo; Albert F Bennett; James W Hicks

doi:10.1038/434037a

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Physiology: postprandial cardiac hypertrophy in pythons.

Johnnie B Andersen·Bryan C Rourke·Vincent J Caiozzo·Albert F Bennett·James W Hicks

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Abstract

Oxygen consumption by carnivorous reptiles increases enormously after they have eaten a large meal in order to meet metabolic demands, and this places an extra load on the cardiovascular system. Here we show that there is an extraordinarily rapid 40% increase in ventricular muscle mass in Burmese pythons (Python molurus) a mere 48 hours after feeding, which results from increased gene expression of muscle-contractile proteins. As this fully reversible hypertrophy occurs naturally, it could provide a useful model for investigating the mechanisms that lead to cardiac growth in other animals.

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Adaptation, Physiological Animals Body Weight Boidae Digestion Fasting Gene Expression Regulation Heart Ventricles Morphogenesis Myanmar Organ Size Oxygen Consumption Postprandial Period RNA, Messenger Transcription, Genetic Ventricular Myosins Journal Article

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Johnnie B Andersen, Bryan C Rourke, Vincent J Caiozzo, Albert F Bennett, James W Hicks. 2005-03-03. Physiology: postprandial cardiac hypertrophy in pythons.. https://doi.org/10.1038/434037a

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