Background

Chronic ischemic mitral regurgitation (CIMR) is associated with poor outcome. Left ventricular (LV) strain after posterolateral myocardial infarction (MI) may drive LV remodeling. Although moderate CIMR has been previously shown to affect LV remodeling, the effect of CIMR on LV strain after posterolateral MI remains unknown. We tested the hypothesis that moderate CIMR alters LV strain after posterolateral MI.

Methods

Posterolateral MI was created in 10 sheep. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging with tags was performed 2 weeks before and 2, 8, and 16 weeks after MI. The left and right ventricular volumes were measured, and regurgitant volume indexed to body surface area (regurgitant volume index) was calculated as the difference between left ventricle and right ventricle stroke volumes divided by body surface area. Three-dimensional strain was calculated.

Results

Circumferential strain (Ecc) and longitudinal strain (Ell) were reduced in the infarct proper, MI borderzone, and remote myocardium 16 weeks after MI. In addition, radial circumferential (Erc) and radial longitudinal (Erl) shear strains were reduced in remote myocardium but increased in the infarct and borderzone 16 weeks after MI. Of all strain components, however, only Erc was affected by regurgitant volume index (p = 0.0005). There was no statistically significant effect of regurgitant volume index on Ecc, Ell, Erl, or circumferential longitudinal shear strain (Ecl).

Conclusions

Moderate CIMR alters radial circumferential shear strain after posterolateral MI in sheep. Further studies are needed to determine the effect of shear strain on myocyte hypertrophy and the effect of mitral repair on myocardial strain.