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Updated: Aug 14, 2025
Echocardiographic Measurement of Right Ventricular Diastolic Parameters in Mouse
Published on: April 27, 2019
Echocardiography protocol: A tool for infrequently used parameters in mice
Emily Ann Todd1, Monique Williams2,3, Ali Kamiar2,3
1Department of Medical Education, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States.
Insights
This guide offers standardized echocardiography methods for rodent cardiovascular research. It clarifies interpretation of key cardiac parameters to improve consistency in studies of mouse models.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Research
- Medical Imaging
- Animal Models
Background:
- Echocardiography is vital for assessing cardiac function in rodent models of cardiovascular disease.
- Current protocols lack standardization for many crucial echocardiography parameters, leading to subjective interpretation and conflicting literature.
- Infrequently used parameters, such as valve regurgitation and stenosis, are often equivocal, hindering comprehensive analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a practical guide for acquiring and interpreting less common echocardiography parameters in rodent models.
- To establish a standardized framework for comprehensive analysis of cardiac structure and function.
- To improve consistency and reduce ambiguity in echocardiography data interpretation within cardiovascular research.
Main Methods:
- Detailed protocols for acquiring echocardiography data focusing on right ventricle (RV), pulmonary artery (PA), pulmonary valve (PV), left atrium (LA), mitral valve (MV), and aortic valve (AoV).
- Guidelines for the interpretation of parameters including mitral regurgitation, mitral stenosis, pulmonary regurgitation, and aortic regurgitation.
- Emphasis on objective measurements and standardized views to minimize subjective interpretation.
Main Results:
- A framework for comprehensive echocardiographic analysis of rodent cardiovascular models is presented.
- Standardized methods for evaluating RV, PA, PV, LA, MV, and AoV function and structure are described.
- The guide aims to resolve ambiguities in interpreting parameters like valve regurgitation and stenosis.
Conclusions:
- Standardized echocardiography protocols are essential for reliable evaluation of rodent cardiovascular disease models.
- This guide facilitates more accurate and consistent interpretation of complex echocardiography parameters.
- Implementing these methods will enhance the reproducibility and clarity of published cardiovascular research in rodents.
Abstract:
Echocardiography is frequently used to evaluate cardiac function in rodent models of cardiovascular disease. Whereas methods to acquire the commonly used echocardiography parameters are well-described in published protocols or manuals, many important parameters are ill-defined and often open to subjective interpretation. Such lack of uniformity has engendered conflicting interpretations of the same parameters in published literature. In particular, parameters such as mitral regurgitation, mitral stenosis, pulmonary regurgitation, and aortic regurgitation that are required to define more esoteric etiologies in rarer mouse models often remain equivocal. The aim of this methods paper is to provide a practical guide to the acquisition and interpretation of infrequently used echocardiography parameters and set a framework for comprehensive analyses of right ventricle (RV), pulmonary artery (PA) pulmonary valve (PV), left atrium (LA), mitral valve (MV), and aortic valve (AoV) structure and function.
