A model for left ventricular hypertrophy enabling non-invasive assessment of cardiac function.
OBJECTIVE
To develop a porcine model for Left Ventricular Hypertrophy (LVH) in which cardiac performance could be quantified non-invasively by Doppler ultrasound.


METHODS
Sixteen 5 kg piglets were divided into two groups. In the first group (n=12) we performed an aortic banding and in the second group (n=4) a sham-operation. Endpoints were echo-assessed left ventricular midseptal and free-wall thickness, heart/body-weight ratio and cardiac myocyte diameter.


RESULTS
Free-wall thickness: 0.77+/-0.013 cm in the intervention group and 0.60+/-0.006 cm in the control group (p=0.015). Midseptal thickness: 0.79+/-0.015 cm in the intervention group and 0.58+/-0.010 cm in the control group (p=0.012). Heart/body-weight ratio: 7.73+/-0.970 in the intervention group and 6.23+/-0.430 in the control group (p=0.003). Cardiac myocyte diameter: 19.6+/-4.9 microm in the intervention group and 11.0+/-1.9 microm in the control group (p=0.000).


CONCLUSIONS
A chronic porcine model for LVH has been established in which Doppler ultrasound can be used to quantify cardiac function non-invasively.
Lunde
Søren
S
Department of Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Aarhus, Denmark.
Smerup
Morten
M
Hasenkam
J Michael
JM
Sloth
Erik
E
D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000601:surgery; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008026:Ligation; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013552:Swine; D013997:Time Factors; D020257:Ventricular Remodeling