Increased SERCA-2a protein expression may play a role in the preservation of RV function post-MI. Therefore, therapeutic strategies that attempt to increase SERCA protein expression levels may be useful for the treatment of HF.

It has been proposed that right ventricular function is an independent predictor of mortality and development of heart failure in patients with known left ventricle dysfunction following myocardial infarction (MI). This study was conducted to assess right ventricle (RV) contractility 8 weeks following MI in rats presenting a moderate to large infarct area. Myocardial infarction was induced in male Wistar rats to create transmural infarctions involving 40‐60% of the left ventricle surface. Infarct rats were divided in two groups: those that presented classical signs of heart failure (HF group) and those that did not (INF group), and these two groups were used to study isometric contraction in isolated RV strips. Inotropic responses in the RV strips were preserved in the INF group but were reduced in the HF group (3.75 mM Ca2+ treatment: Sham=163±18; INF=148±19; HF=68±11 g/mg*; *p<0.05); (5x10‐5 M Isoproterenol treatment: Sham=151±15, INF=134±17, HF=52±7 g/mg*; *p<0.05). The infarcted group without signs of HF showed preserved contractility in RV strips in response to post‐rest potentiation, increases in extracellular Ca2+ and isoproterenol treatment. Indeed, SERCA‐2a protein expression was increased in the INF group but not in the HF group. In conclusion, increased SERCA‐2a protein expression may play a role in the preservation of RV function post‐MI. Therefore, therapeutic strategies that attempt to increase SERCA‐2a protein expression levels may be useful for the treatment of HF. Grant Funding Source: Supported by FAPES and CNPq

This study aimed to assess the combination of video-based kinematic variables adjusted by intrinsic covariates to predict the relative eccentric force (RelF) during the Nordic curl. The participants (n = 21) performed Nordic curls (3 trials; 3-min rest) on a device measuring the eccentric force. The peaks were normalized by body weight. Kinovea software was used to track angular and linear velocity and acceleration from recorded videos. Two prediction models with multiple linear regression equations associated kinematic, anthropometric, and age variables to adjust the actual RelF. The equations obtained the predicted RelF. The actual RelF was inversely correlated with height (r = −.52), tangential (r = −.50) and centripetal accelerations (r = −.715), and angular velocity (r = −.70). The best prediction models combined angular velocity with age (F2,18 = 15.1, P = .001, r = .792, r2 = .627) and with height (F2,18 = 14.5, P = .001, r = .785, r2 = .616). No differences were observed between actual and predicted values (P = .993−.994), with good levels of agreement and consistency (intraclass correlation coefficient = .77−.78; Cronbach α = .86−.87). Bland–Altman results showed high levels of agreement and low biases. The standard error of measurement and minimal detectable change ranges were 0.46 to 0.49 N/kg and 1.28 to 1.36 N/kg, respectively. Also, the percentage of standard error of measurement was below 10% (7.92%–8.35%). The coefficient of variation analysis returned a 14.54% and 15.13% for each model, respectively. Kinematic analysis offers portability and low cost to current expensive or technical impaired dynamometry-based techniques to assess the RelF.