Content area
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.
Details
Key topics Powered by Web of Science® Description for Powered by Web of Science
MeSH
Animals, Body Weight, Boidae -- genetics, Boidae -- metabolism, Fasting -- physiology, Gene Expression Regulation, Morphogenesis, Myanmar, Organ Size, Oxygen Consumption, RNA, Messenger -- genetics, RNA, Messenger -- metabolism, Transcription, Genetic -- genetics, Ventricular Myosins -- biosynthesis, Ventricular Myosins -- genetics, Ventricular Myosins -- metabolism, Adaptation, Physiological -- physiology (major), Boidae -- physiology (major), Digestion -- physiology (major), Heart Ventricles -- growth & development (major), Postprandial Period -- physiology (major)
Location
Identifier / keyword
Title
Postprandial cardiac hypertrophy in pythons
Nature; London
Volume
434
Issue
7029
Pages
37-8
Number of pages
2
Publication year
2005
Publication date
Mar 3, 2005
Section
brief communications
Place of publication
London
Country of publication
United States
Publication subject
ISSN
00280836
e-ISSN
14764687
CODEN
NATUAS
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
Document type
Journal Article
Accession number
15744290
ProQuest document ID
204597263
Document URL
https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/postprandial-cardiac-hypertrophy-pythons/docview/204597263/se-2?accountid=208611
Copyright
Copyright Nature Publishing Group Mar 3, 2005
Last updated
2024-10-04
Database
ProQuest One Academic