The majority of these mice displayed severe hypertrophy (heart-to-body weight ratios >2-fold greater in the Rac1 mice) and died from overt heart failure between days 14 and 17.
Furthermore, using phospho-specific antibodies in Western blots and in vitro kinase assays, we found at the effector level an upregulation of the small G-protein Rac1 activity during LVH but a decrease during CHF.