Evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function by pulsed Doppler tissue imaging in mice.
BACKGROUND
Diastolic left ventricular (LV) function is commonly characterized by transmitral flow pattern in human beings. Recently, Doppler tissue imaging (DTI) was introduced to evaluate diastolic function. The aim of our study was to validate DTI in the evaluation of diastolic function in mice.


METHODS
We measured indices of diastolic function using pulsed DTI, and transmitral Doppler and LV pressure and its maximal rate of decrease (LVdP/dt(min)), before and 4 weeks after aortic banding in C57BL/6 mice.


RESULTS
Peak early diastolic velocity and ratio of peak early-to-late filling velocities, both measured by DTI, were significantly reduced after banding, thereby indicating diastolic dysfunction. Diastolic dysfunction was confirmed by impaired LV dP/dt(min), decreased transmitral early filling velocity, and transmitral early-to-late filling velocity ratio using transmitral Doppler.


CONCLUSIONS
DTI detects diastolic dysfunction caused by chronic pressure overload in mice after aortic banding. DTI is suggested to be implemented as part of routine mouse echocardiography for evaluation of LV diastolic function.
Schaefer
Arnd
A
Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany. schaefer.arnd@mh-hannover.de
Klein
Gunnar
G
Brand
Birgit
B
Lippolt
Peter
P
Drexler
Helmut
H
Meyer
Gerd Peter
GP
D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D003971:Diastole / Q000502:physiology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018619:Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008955:Models, Cardiovascular; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*; D017725:Ventricular Pressure / Q000502:physiology