Chronic Unloading by Left Ventricular Assist Device Reverses Contractile Dysfunction and Alters Gene Expression in End-Stage Heart Failure

Abstract

LVAD support can improve contractile strength of intact myocardium and reverse the negative FFR associated with end-stage heart failure. The expression of genes encoding for proteins involved in Ca(2+) cycling is upregulated (reverse molecular remodeling), but only the protein content of SERCA2a is increased.