Abstract： Objective To develop pressure-overloaded myocardial hypertrophy, hypertrophy-reverse and chronic heart failure models and to form an assessing system for the 3 kinds of models. Methods Eight-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into abdominal aortic constriction (AAC) group and sham group. AAC group was further divided into three groups according to echocardiograph index LVmass/BW at 12 weeks after surgery: myocar-dial hypertrophy without failure (POH-NF), hypertrophy-reverse (POH-Re) and heart failure (POH-F) group, which respectively received normal diet for 4 weeks and were treated with Carvedilol and Fosinopril for 8 weeks and high-salt diet for 12 weeks. Hemodynamic parameters were examined and cardiac contractile function was assessed through cardiocatheter via carotid artery before euthanasia. Hearts and lungs of rats were weighed and part of tissue of hearts and lungs was prepared for histomorphological analysis. Results Compared with sham group, echocardio-graph index end-diastolic ventricular septal thickness (IVSd), end-diastolic ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWd), left ventricular mass(LVmass) of POH-NF group and IVSd, LVPWd, LVmass, left ventricular end-di-astolic diameter (LVIDd), left ventricular end-systolic diameter(LVIDs) of POH-F group increased, whereas frac-tional endocardial shortening(FS), ejection fraction(EF) of POH-F group decreased. LVPWd, LVmaas of POH-Re group after administration were not significantly different from these of sham group. Basal hemodynamic parameters HR, SBP, left ventricular end-systolic pressure (LVESP) and maximum value of the first derivative of the ventricu-lar pressure wave(dp/dtmax) of POH-NF group increased. SBP, LVESP of POH-Re group recovered. Elevated left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and decreased dp/dtmax were found in POH-F group. HW,HW/BW of POH-NF and POH-F group significantly increased. LW,LW/BW of POH-F group also increased. (all P <0.05 ).There were significant myocardial disarray, myocardial hypertrophy and enlarged, strange, densely stained cell nuclear in hearts of POH-NF. Significant lung congestion was found in POH-F group. Conclusion POH model was established by AAC. Angiotension converting enzyme inhibitors combined with 13-blocker could significantly reverse hypertrophic myocardium in POH model to reform a POH-Re model. Meanwhile, it could promote POH to chronic heart failure to reform a CHF model. Combination of manifestations, echocardiography, hemodynamics, weight index of heart, lung and histological observation of heart and lung can set up an assessing system that distinguishes the myocardial hypertrophy in rat CHF models.