NPPB and cardiac hypertrophy: TAC-induced chronic stress resulted in substantial increases in myocardial hypertrophy (ANP and BNP mRNA levels) and cardiomyocyte cross-sectional area (CSA); in addition, the heart weight to body weight ratio (HW/BW), the lung weight to body weight ratio (LW/BW) and heart weight to tibial length ratio (HW/TL) levels were significantly increased.