The Production of Experimental Congestive Heart Failure in Rabbits

Observations were made on blood pressure, heart size, and physiologic state of 33 rabbits subjected to severe constriction of the abdominal aorta. Two-thirds of the rabbits developed symptoms of congestive heart failure and died within two weeks. Autopsy findings revealed acute passive congestion of liver and lungs in the majority of cases and chronic passive congestion of liver and heart failure cells in lungs in some animals which survived a month or more. Advantages of this method are simplicity of operative procedure and high incidence of heart failure.