Abstract: AIM To establish and assess the rat models of heart failure using abdominal aortic stenosis, coronary artery ligation or abdominal aortic stenosis combined with coronary artery ligation. METHODSRats were randomly divided into four groups: control, abdominal aortic stenosis (AAS), coronary aortic ligation (CAL) group, and abdominal aortic stenosis combined with coronary aortic ligation (AAS plus CAL). At the fourth week after modeling, echocardiography and hemodynamics were used to assess cardiac functions. After measurement of rat heart weight, heart weight/body weight ratio was calculated. RESULTSAt the fourth week, survival was 100% in the control group and AAS group, 86.67% in the CAL group, and 13.33% in the AAS+CAL group. Ejection fraction (EF) and fractional shortening (FS) were reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01), and LVESD, LVESV and LVEDV were increased in AAS group (P<0.05, P<0.01). No significant changes were found in other parameters. EF, FS, LVSP and ±dp/dtmax were reduced (P<0.01), whereas LVEDD, LVESD, LVEDV, LVESV and LVEDP were all increased in the CAL group (P<0.01), with significant difference between the AAS group and the CAL group in all aforementioned parameters except LVEDD. The heart mass index was increased in the CAL group (P<0.01) and was not significantly changed in the AAS group compared with the control group. CONCLUSIONEF value is in the normal range and symptoms of heart failure in the AAS group are inconspicuous. Heart failure 4 weeks after CAL is more severe and this model can better simulate the clinical changes of heart failure.