Gender and strain variations in left ventricular cardiac function and mass determined with magnetic resonance imaging at 7 tesla in adult mice.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to assess with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) the influence of strain type and gender on left ventricular (LV) global function and mass in 3 inbred mouse strains with a normal cardiac phenotype.


METHODS
A total of 30 mice from 3 inbred strains (C57BL/6, 29S2/SvPasCrl, and C3HFeJ) were studied on a 7.05-T MR scanner using ECG-triggered cine sequences. LV mass and volumes were calculated with inclusion and exclusion of papillary muscles (PMs) in the LV wall.


RESULTS
Significant differences were found with strain and gender (P < 0.001), with strain-effect but no gender-effect for ejection fraction (EF), end-diastolic volume (EDV), and end-systolic volume (ESV). There were no differences in LV mass between strains but lower values in female mice except in the C3H strain. The exclusion of PMs led to the relative underestimation of EF (-6.1%) and of LV mass (-6.4 mg) and the relative overestimation of EDV (6.3 microL) and ESV (5.3 microL). Inter- and intraobserver reproducibility was better when PMs were included.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of MRI demonstrates cardiac interstrain and gender-related phenotypic diversities that are essential factors to consider when building genomic databases and designing studies.
Croisille
Pierre
P
Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, France. croisille@creatis.univ-lyon1.fr
Rotaru
Carmen
C
Janier
Marc
M
Hiba
Bassem
B
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D015588:Observer Variation; D010641:Phenotype; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*