ABSTRACT. The effects of cardiac hypertrophy in adult patients with Tetralogy of Fallot, although the pattern of Mhc animals on the expression of a number of genes are well isotype expression was not changed. More is known about the established. There is, however, a paucity of information response of the adult myocardium to pressure overload. It is now about the effect of pressure overload on the expression of well documented, in various animal models of cardiac hypertrogenes coding for the contractile proteins in the prenatal phy, that perturbations occur. Often, in the adult models, the developing heart. The prenatal cardiac muscle can increase reexpression of fetal or perinatal isoforms is observed (5-7). cell number in response to stress, whereas the adult heart Additionally, changes in the levels of expression of enzymes increases cell mass. Thus, the response of the fetal heart associated with Ca2+ handling, such as the sarcoplasmic reticuto pressure overload cannot be assumed to be identical to lum AT^^^^, have been noted (8).that of adult myocardium. W e studied the effect of banding These alterations in gene expression appear to be an intrinsic the great vessels of fetal sheep hearts on the expression of property of the myocardium. The change in the pattern of troponin (TNT). In other vertebrates, TNT mRNA is expression of a given protein varies from animal to animal. For generated by alternative splicing of a primary transcript. example, in the smaller rodents, in response to hypertrophy Thus, both the levels and patterns of TNT isOforms caused by pressure overload induced by banding, a shift from crated by alternative splicing in the heart could be influ-the V, to Vi Mhc isOtype in the loaded ventricle occurs (9); such enced by pressure overload.