Do Mitochondria Participate in General Cardiac Hypertrophy?

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Abstract
Left ventricular weight:body weight ratio of a group of hypertensive rats was 55% greater than that of a similar group of normotensive rats. Ratio of "non-particulate" pro-teins of the left ventricle to total body weight was 53% greater in the hypertensive group than in the normotensive group. Mitochondria of the left ventricle also participated in cardiac hypertrophy of the hypertensive group. Mitochondrial protein: body weight ratio was 25% greater in the hypertensive group than in the normotensive group. Sub-mitochondrial particles of the left ventricle also participated in cardiac hypertrophy. The ratio of protein in these particles to total body weight was 37% greater in the hypertensive series than in the normotensive series. Hypertrophy of the mitochondria, however, was not as great proportionately as that of the left ventricle as a whole. Ratio of mitochondrial protein to total left ventricular weight was 19% less in hypertensive rats than in normotensive ones. The ratio of mitochondrial protein to "non-particulate" protein was 17% less in the hypertensive group compared to the normotensive group. Hypertrophy of the sub-mitochondrial particles in hypertensive rats was also proportionately less than the hypertrophy of the left ventricle as a whole. The mass of protein in the individual mitochondrion was slightly less in hypertensive rats than in normotensive ones, but the difference was not significant. The total number of mitochondria increased 50% as the left ventricle hypertrophied (p= .08). It seems clear that the total mass of mitochondrial protein in the left ventricle can increase in adaptation to an increase in work load.

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