Assessment of Longitudinal Reproducibility of Mice LV Function Parameters at 11.7 T Derived from Self-Gated CINE MRI.

Zhi Zuo,Genshan Ma,Wolfgang Rottbauer,Anne Subgang,Detlef Stiller,Volker Rasche,Alireza Abaei

doi:10.1155/2017/8392952

Abstract

The objective of this work was the assessment of the reproducibility of self-gated cardiac MRI in mice at ultra-high-field strength. A group of adult mice (n = 5) was followed over 360 days with a standardized MR protocol including reproducible animal position and standardized planning of the scan planes. From the resulting CINE MRI data, global left ventricular (LV) function parameters including end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), stroke volume (SV), ejection fraction (EF), and left ventricular mass (LVM) were quantified. The reproducibility of the self-gated technique as well as the intragroup variability and longitudinal changes of the investigated parameters was assessed. Self-gated cardiac MRI proved excellent reproducibility of the global LV function parameters, which was in the order of the intragroup variability. Longitudinal assessment did not reveal any significant variations for EDV, ESV, SV, and EF but an expected increase of the LVM with increasing age. In summary, self-gated MRI in combination with a standardized protocol for animal positioning and scan plane planning ensures reproducible assessment of global LV function parameters.

Highlights

Recent developments in genetic engineering and surgical and pharmacological methods have led to a wide selection of small rodent animal models [1], allowing a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases and to study new therapeutic interventions
Echocardiography using high-frequency transducers has proven to be useful in estimating left ventricular (LV) function in mice [3]
The average total scan time resulted in about 30 minutes per animal

Summary

Introduction

Recent developments in genetic engineering and surgical and pharmacological methods have led to a wide selection of small rodent animal models [1], allowing a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of cardiovascular diseases and to study new therapeutic interventions. The diagnosis and management of cardiovascular diseases require accurate assessment of cardiac function [2]. Echocardiography using high-frequency transducers has proven to be useful in estimating LV function in mice [3]. It is a quick and affordable technique. It intrinsically has a relatively low reproducibility since imaging conventionally is 1D (M-mode) or 2D and so relies on geometric assumptions for volume calculation. Further echocardiography as such is highly dependent on the experience of the user and showing high interexaminer variability. Shadowing by the sternum and limits on spatial resolution prevent accurate analysis of the ventricles

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Conclusion