Authors:

Emma Harris-Clippinger

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Heart Syndrome The objective of this research is to create a model of the congenital heart disease, hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), and evaluate changes in vascular wall thickness of pulmonary arteries in a mid-late gestation fetal sheep model of left ventricle inflow obstruction. This research is important because strained heart and lung vessels is a major driver of morbidity and early mortality in this population of patients. Our lab has developed a large animal model of HLHS using a balloon to obstruct inflow in the left ventricle of the heart. The aim is to fill the knowledge gap in the impact of obstructed flow through the left atrium and associated pulmonary venous hypertension on pulmonary vascular wall thickness. 5 experimental and 4 control fetuses were operated on at 115 days gestational age with a deflated balloon catheter. Balloons in experimental fetuses were gradually inflated each day until aortic flow was eliminated and the balloons remained inflated for 2 weeks. Intact single lungs were preserved from control and experimental fetuses. We then examined the pulmonary arteries of the lungs.They were categorized by external diameter and the percent wall thickness of each vessel was calculated. We can conclude that balloon inflation in a sheep model of HLHS is associated with blood vessels in the lungs thickening, but not in the same way or in the same places. These findings suggest this can result from chronic left ventricular inflow obstruction. 186 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2026 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM TABLE OF CONTENTS

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University of Oregon / 2026

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Co-authors:

Emma Harris-Clippinger