title: A rabbit model with acute thrombo-embolic pulmonary hypertension created with echocardiography guidance.
abstract: A rabbit model of acute thrombo-embolic pulmonary hypertension was developed by infusing self-thrombi into the right femoral vein and simultaneously measuring the pulmonary artery pressure via a right heart catheter and echocardiography. The model was used to explore the usefulness of an ultrasound-guided protocol. In the present study, acute thrombo-embolic pulmonary hypertension was produced in 25 of 30 healthy New Zealand rabbits; the success rate was 83%. A significant and positive correlation between the right ventricle-right atrial pressure gradient, an estimate of the pulmonary artery systolic pressure derived from tricuspid regurgitation and the pulmonary artery systolic pressure measured using the right heart catheter (r=0.765, P=0.002) was noted. During the process of establishing a rabbit model of acute thrombo-embolic pulmonary hypertension, it was demonstrated that echocardiography can be used to guide the right heart catheter to obtain pulmonary artery systolic pressure measurements, to quantify the tricuspid regurgitation jet to assess the pulmonary artery systolic pressure and to observe cardiac morphologic changes so as to evaluate cardiac function. Based on the present study, it is clear that echocardiography is valuable in improving the success rate of producing the animal model of acute thrombo-embolic pulmonary hypertension. This could ultimately facilitate preclinical research and clinical research in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound Diagnostics, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Hong-mao
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yun-you
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Li-jun
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Tie-sheng
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Weihua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: Hong-xin
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.forename: Yu-hui
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000503:physiopathology; D011817:Rabbits; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014262:Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging