title: Doppler echocardiographic predictors of mortality in female rats after myocardial infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Doppler echocardiogram is useful for the evaluation of anatomical and functional changes in late myocardial infarction (MI) in rats. However, no studies have evaluated the prognostic value of echocardiographic parameters 1 week after MI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Doppler echocardiogram was performed in 84 female Wistar rats 1 week after MI to determine infarction size, left chambers dimensions, fractional area change (FAC) of the left ventricle (LV), mitral inflow and tissue Doppler, myocardial performance index (MPI), and signs of pulmonary hypertension. The 365-day follow-up showed 53.6% mortality rate. Nonsurvivors showed larger (P < .05) MI size and cavity dimensions, poorer diastolic and systolic function, and higher frequency of pulmonary hypertension. Parameters at early stage of MI associated with higher mortality risk by Cox multivariate regression model were FAC <or=37% (relative risk [RR] 3.78, 95% CI, 1.50-9.53), MPI >or=0.60 (RR 3.49, 95% CI, 1.80-6.76), LV systolic area >or=0.26 cm(2) (RR 4.38, 95% CI, 1.88-10.21), E/E' ratio >or=20.3 (RR 2.12, 95% CI, 1.15-4.34), and E/A ratio associated with FAC (RR 2.99, 95% CI, 1.44-6.18).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some diastolic and systolic Doppler echocardiographic parameters in rats may be able to predict late mortality risk after MI.
authors.affiliation: Escola Paulista de Medicina-Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Disciplina de Cardiologia, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alexandra Alberta
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Izzo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Helber
authors.forename: Ronald L G
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Flumignan
authors.forename: Ednei L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Antonio
authors.forename: Antonio C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Angelo A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Paola
authors.forename: Paulo J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Tucci
authors.forename: Valdir A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Moises
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000401:mortality; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012306:Risk