Echocardiography protocol: A tool for infrequently used parameters in mice

Abstract

Echocardiography is frequently used to evaluate cardiac function in rodent models of cardiovascular disease. Whereas methods to acquire the commonly used echocardiography parameters are well-described in published protocols or manuals, many important parameters are ill-defined and often open to subjective interpretation. Such lack of uniformity has engendered conflicting interpretations of the same parameters in published literature. In particular, parameters such as mitral regurgitation, mitral stenosis, pulmonary regurgitation, and aortic regurgitation that are required to define more esoteric etiologies in rarer mouse models often remain equivocal. The aim of this methods paper is to provide a practical guide to the acquisition and interpretation of infrequently used echocardiography parameters and set a framework for comprehensive analyses of right ventricle (RV), pulmonary artery (PA) pulmonary valve (PV), left atrium (LA), mitral valve (MV), and aortic valve (AoV) structure and function.

A systematic methodology for epicardial and epiaortic echocardiography in swine research models

“…Understanding how various conditions such as hyperdynamic circulation, anemia or shock might lead to different results in echocardiography, as recently demonstrated by Chompoosan et al in pregnant horses, might interfere in interpretation of results 15 . Todd et al described a protocol for mice with particular focus in infrequently used parameters, as well as highlight in assessment of the right heart, as to deeper explore the mechanisms of right heart and pulmonary circuit function 16 . With respect to intraspecies analysis, echocardiography in animal models may serve as a bridge imaging modality for control of studies performed in a longer timeframe with high end methodologies as goal, exemplarily described by Martínez‐Milla et al with coronary angiography, cardiac magnetic resonance, and hybrid PET/CT 17 .…”

“…15 Todd et al described a protocol for mice with particular focus in infrequently used parameters, as well as highlight in assessment of the right heart, as to deeper explore the mechanisms of right heart and pulmonary circuit function. 16 With respect to intraspecies analysis, echocardiography in animal models may serve as a bridge imaging modality for control of studies performed in a longer timeframe with high end methodologies as goal, exemplarily described by Martínez-Milla et al with coronary angiography, cardiac magnetic resonance, and hybrid PET/CT. 17 Hence, EE might be applied and compared with different imaging techniques to optimize methodology matching according to a specific parameter or study aim, as well exemplified by Rogers et al in a multimodality comparison of artery diameter, length, and wall volume.…”

Sarcomeric SRX:DRX Equilibrium in Alport and LDLR/P407 Mouse Models of HFpEF

“…Echocardiography, mitral valve (MV) pulse wave, and tissue Doppler were conducted on 8-week-old Alport, 8-week-old wild type, and 4-week-post-treatment LDLR/P407 mice. Cardiac function was assessed using the Vevo2100 imaging system (Visual Sonics, Toronto, ON, Canada) with an MS400 linear array transducer (as in our previous works 16, 17 ).…”

Ca2+Oscillation in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells Control Myogenic Spontaneous Vasomotion and Counteract Post-ischemic No-reflow

“…Evaluation of heart functions of SMACreER:ME-Linker mice and littermates was conducted by transthoracic echocardiography (Vevo 3100, Visual Sonics) as previsouy reported 60 . Briefly, mouse was depilated and anesthetized using isoflurane, then transformed to the heating pad equiped with ECG electroes.…”