Age and gender related reference values for transthoracic Doppler-echocardiography in the anesthetized CD1 mouse.
OBJECTIVE
Doppler-echocardiography of the mouse has evolved to a commonly used technique in the past years as recent advances in imaging quality have substantially improved spatial and temporal resolution allowing the adaptation of this technique to murine models. Although mouse echocardiography is widely used, there is only little information on reference data for wild-type animals available, particularly in older mice.


METHODS
We therefore established a database with echocardiographic reference-values in a large set of young (8 weeks) and older adult (52 weeks) Swiss type CD1-mice of either sex. We performed a complete Doppler-echocardiographic examination under light Ketamine-Xylazine-anesthesia. LV-mass was calculated and compared with necropsy heart weights to validate the LV-mass calculation.


RESULTS
Doppler-echocardiographic measurements in mice were feasible to assess cardiac morphology and function. Sonomorphological and functional parameters hardly changed between the age of 12 and 52 weeks. Wall thickness, LV-mass and cardiac output were stable with aging. There was a good relative correlation between echocardiographically estimated LV-mass and necropsy heart weight although absolute values differed. There were no significant echocardiographic differences between male and female mice.


CONCLUSIONS
The reference values established in this study can be useful in recording and quantifying pathological changes in murine models of cardiovascular diseases. There is hardly any change of cardiac function between the age of 12 and 52 weeks.
Stypmann
Jörg
J
Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Hospital of the University of Münster, Münster, Germany. Stypmann@mednet.uni-muenster.de
Engelen
Markus A
MA
Epping
Constanze
C
van Rijen
Harold V M
HV
Milberg
Peter
P
Bruch
Christian
C
Breithardt
Günter
G
Tiemann
Klaus
K
Eckardt
Lars
L
D000367:Age Factors; D000758:Anesthesia; D000818:Animals; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D012015:Reference Standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors; D016276:Ventricular Function