A focus on the greatness of the lesser circulation: spotlight issue on the right ventricle

What is the motivation behind a special issue on the right ventricle? William Harvey ’s assertion in 1628 that ‘(mother nature) would not have added the right ventricle for the sole purpose of nourishing the lungs, but to propel blood through the lungs into the cavity of the LV’1 celebrated the marvel of human physiology in which all constituents have an important function. The right ventricle (RV) is of critical importance. The circulation is composed of a single continuous circuit in which there are only two intrinsic contractile pumps; the RV that provides the pressure necessary to augment flow through the pulmonary circulation and the left ventricle (LV) that provides the pressure adequate to perfuse the organs and muscles of the body. The statement thatcardiac output is only as good as the worst ventricle reflects upon the fact that neither ventricle can fully compensate for the failure of the other. Put simply, if the RV is only able to pump 2  L/min of cardiac output, then even the best functioning LV will be constrained to 2 L of output. Thus, the RV shoulders significant responsibility in meeting the metabolic requirements of the body under a vast array of physiological settings. Just as for the LV, the RV needs to augment cardiac output at times of increased metabolic need, such as exercise or illness and it must cope with changes in load. There are also a range of pathologies that can affect the structure and function of the RV directly, or indirectly via...
Source: Cardiovascular Research - Category: Cardiology Source Type: research