[Measurement of cardiac output in waking rats using a Doppler ultrasonic technic]

The ultrasound Doppler technique was used for the determination of cardiac output in conscious Wistar rats. The cuff probes were placed on the ascending aorta and calibrated with the radioactive microsphere technique. The results of experiments show that Doppler ultrasound technique determines the cardiac output with high linearity. The possibility of using both methods in one and the same animal was also confirmed.