ance is a cardinal symptom of right ventricular heart failure (RV HF) and skeletal muscle adaptations play a role in this limitation. We determined regional remodeling of muscle structure and mitochondrial function in a rat model of RV HF induced by monocrotaline injection (MCT; 60 mg·kg Ϫ1 ; n ϭ 11). Serial sections of the plantaris were stained for fiber type, succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity and capillaries. Mitochondrial function was assessed in permeabilized fibers using respirometry, and isolated complex activity by blue native gel electrophoresis (BN PAGE). All measurements were compared with saline-injected control animals (CON; n ϭ 12). Overall fiber cross-sectional area was smaller in MCT than CON: 1,843 Ϯ 114 vs. 2,322 Ϯ 120 m 2 (P ϭ 0.009). Capillary-to-fiber ratio was lower in MCT in the oxidative plantaris region (1.65 Ϯ 0.09 vs. 1.93 Ϯ 0.07; P ϭ 0.03), but not in the glycolytic region. SDH activity (P ϭ 0.048) and maximal respiratory rate (P ϭ 0.012) were each ϳ15% lower in all fibers in MCT. ADP sensitivity was reduced in both skeletal muscle regions in MCT (P ϭ 0.032), but normalized by rotenone. A 20% lower complex I/IV activity in MCT was confirmed by BN PAGE. MCT-treatment was associated with lower mitochondrial volume density (lower SDH activity), quality (lower complex I activity), and fewer capillaries per fiber area in oxidative skeletal muscle. These features are consistent with structural and functional remodeling of the determinants of oxygen supply potential and utilization that may contribute to exercise intolerance and reduced quality of life in patients with RV HF. bioenergetics; exercise; mitochondrial complex I; respirometry; monocrotaline AN INCREASE IN PULMONARY ARTERIAL pressure increases the loading on the right ventricle of the heart. If sustained, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) results in right ventricular hypertrophy and ultimately to right ventricular heart failure (RV HF), the major cause of death in sufferers of PAH (5, 21). Mortality rates of patients with PAH and RV HF are very high: 20 to 40% in the first 3 years after diagnosis (5). PAH and HF are characterized by a reduced tolerance to muscular exercise despite new therapies (2,19,21,33). Interestingly, the reduction in the maximal oxygen uptake (V O 2max ) is a better predictor of mortality than the central hemodynamic deficit or other traditional risk factors (36). Consequently, correction of the central blood flow limitation by heart transplantation does not consistently resolve functional limitations in patients with HF (43), supporting the view that skeletal muscle remodeling plays an important role in exercise intolerance and mortality in many chronic disease states including PAH and RV HF (17,33,54).A common observation in patients with LV (32) and RV (33) HF is muscle atrophy and weakness, that contributes to a loss of power generating capacity. This may be accompanied by a shift in muscle fiber type expression away from fatigueresistant type I fibers, towards type II (33, 42, 44) and changes i...