title: A detailed comparison of mouse and human cardiac development.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mouse mutants are used to model human congenital cardiovascular disease. Few studies exist comparing normal cardiovascular development in mice vs. humans. We carried out a systematic comparative analysis of mouse and human fetal cardiovascular development.
  
  
  METHODS
  Episcopic fluorescence image capture (EFIC) was performed on 66 wild-type mouse embryos from embryonic day (E) 9.5 to birth; 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional datasets were compared with EFIC and magnetic resonance images from a study of 52 human fetuses (Carnegie stage 13-23).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Time course of atrial, ventricular, and outflow septation were outlined and followed a similar sequence in both species. Bilateral venae cavae and prominent atrial appendages were seen in the mouse fetus; in human fetuses, atrial appendages were small, and a single right superior vena cava was present. In contrast to humans with separate pulmonary vein orifices, a pulmonary venous confluence with one orifice enters the left atrium in mice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cardiac developmental sequences observed in mouse and human fetuses are comparable, with minor differences in atrial and venous morphology. These comparisons of mouse and human cardiac development strongly support that mouse morphogenesis is a good model for human development.
authors.affiliation: 1] Laboratory of Developmental Biology, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland [2] Children's National Heart Institute, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krishnan
authors.affiliation: 1] Laboratory of Developmental Biology, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland [2] George Washington University Medical School, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: Rajeev
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Samtani
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Schneider Children's Hospital, New Hyde Park, New York.
authors.forename: Preeta
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dhanantwari
authors.affiliation: 1] Laboratory of Developmental Biology, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland [2] Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Congenital Anomaly Research Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigehito
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.affiliation: Congenital Anomaly Research Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Kohei
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shiota
authors.affiliation: Children's National Heart Institute, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: Mary T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Donofrio
authors.affiliation: 1] Laboratory of Developmental Biology, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland [2] Children's National Heart Institute, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leatherbury
authors.affiliation: 1] Laboratory of Developmental Biology, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland [2] Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Cecilia W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Lo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020517:Atrial Appendage / Q000196:embryology; D054087:Atrial Septum / Q000196:embryology; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000196:embryology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology*; D006351:Heart Valves / Q000196:embryology; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000196:embryology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D051379:Mice; D009024:Morphogenesis; D061848:Optical Imaging; D013045:Species Specificity; D054088:Ventricular Septum / Q000196:embryology