4.2.6. Measurement of Right Ventricular Hypertrophy

Immediately following the measurement of RVSP and mPAP, we euthanized the rats. We then surgically removed the right ventricle from left ventricle and interventricular septum, using the main pulmonary artery as an anatomical reference point. After removing the atria, we gently aspirated the ventricular chambers or washed them with saline to remove any remaining blood. Subsequently, we weighed the right ventricle and the left ventricle (which remained attached to the septum) using a precision balance with a sensitivity of 0.0001 g. We then calculated the Fulton index with the formula RVH = [RV/(LV + S)], where ‘RV’ represents the weight of the right ventricle, ‘LV’ stands for the weight of the left ventricle, and ‘S’ is the weight of the interventricular septum.