title: A model for left ventricular hypertrophy enabling non-invasive assessment of cardiac function.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic & Vascular Surgery, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Søren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lunde
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smerup
authors.forename: J Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hasenkam
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sloth
mesh_terms: 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