Monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension in Wistar rats.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a debilitating and often fatal disease characterized by a progressive increase in pulmonary vascular resistance that leads to right ventricular failure. Described in this unit is an in vivo model of monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats that can be used to assess the effects of antihypertensive agents on pulmonary artery pressure and right ventricular hypertrophy.