Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 22, 2026

Minimal Invasive Surgical Procedure of Inducing Myocardial Infarction in Mice
Published on: May 4, 2015
Relationship of systolic dysfunction to area at risk and infarction size after ischemia-reperfusion in mice
Ana Clara Tude Rodrigues1, Ryuji Hataishi, Fumito Ichinose
1Cardiac Ultrasounds Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston 02114, USA.
Abstract:
Whereas the extent of wall-motion abnormality (WMA) correlates well with the area at risk (AAR) and infarction size in murine models of nonreperfused myocardial infarction, this relationship is less clear in the setting of ischemia-reperfusion injury. Echocardiography was performed in mice at baseline, after left anterior descending coronary artery ligation (30 minutes) followed by reperfusion (24 hours), and after religation of the left anterior descending coronary artery. The extent of WMA before and after religation was compared with the initial infarction size measured by triphenyltetrazolium chloride and the AAR measured by fluorescent microspheres, respectively. Echocardiography showed left ventricular dilation and dysfunction after ischemia and reperfusion. WMA after religation correlated well with AAR (r2 = 0.70, P <.0001). The correlation between WMA and infarction size was incomplete (r2 = 0.59, P <.0002) in part because of underestimation of nontransmural infarcts. Echocardiography can reliably assess AAR after ischemia-reperfusion in mice; however, it does not allow for precise quantification of the small areas of necrosis that often occur in this setting.
Insights
Echocardiography reliably assesses the area at risk in mouse models of ischemia-reperfusion injury. However, wall-motion abnormality quantification may underestimate small necrotic areas, impacting infarction size correlation.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Myocardial Infarction
- Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury
Background:
- Wall-motion abnormality (WMA) correlates with infarct size in nonreperfused myocardial infarction.
- This relationship is less clear in ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury models.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate echocardiography's ability to assess WMA in relation to area at risk (AAR) and infarct size in a murine I/R model.
- To compare WMA with AAR and infarct size following left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion and reperfusion.
Main Methods:
- Echocardiography in mice at baseline, after 30-min LAD ligation/24-hr reperfusion, and after religation.
- Comparison of WMA with infarct size (triphenyltetrazolium chloride) and AAR (fluorescent microspheres).
Main Results:
- Echocardiography revealed left ventricular dilation and dysfunction post-I/R.
- WMA after religation strongly correlated with AAR (r²=0.70, P<.0001).
- WMA-infarct size correlation was weaker (r²=0.59, P<.0002), partly due to underestimation of non-transmural infarcts.
Conclusions:
- Echocardiography reliably assesses AAR in murine I/R models.
- Echocardiography underestimates small necrotic areas, limiting precise infarct size quantification.
- WMA is a reliable marker for AAR but less so for infarct size in this setting.
More Related Videos
09:37Permanent Ligation of the Left Anterior Descending Coronary Artery in Mice: A Model of Post-myocardial Infarction Remodelling and Heart Failure
Published on: December 2, 2014
11:07A Murine Model of Myocardial Ischemia-reperfusion Injury through Ligation of the Left Anterior Descending Artery
Published on: April 10, 2014