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Abstract
BackgroundUltrasound is a valuable non-invasive tool used in obstetrics and gynecology to monitor the growth and well being of the human fetus. The laboratory mouse has recently emerged as an appropriate model for fetal and perinatal studies because morphogenetic processes in mice exhibit adequate homology to those in humans, and genetic manipulations are relatively simple to perform in mice. High-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) has recently become available for small animal preclinical imaging and can be used to study pregnancy and development in the mouse. The objective of the current study was to assess the main applications of HFUS in the evaluation of fetal growth and placental function and to better understand human congenital diseases.Methodology/Principal FindingsOn each gestational day, at least 5 dams were monitored with HFUS; a total of ∼200 embryos were examined. Because it is not possible to measure each variable for the entire duration of the pregnancy, the parameters were divided into three groups as a function of the time at which they were measured. Univariate analysis of the relationship between each measurement and the embryonic day was performed using Spearman’s rank correlation (Rs). Continuous linear regression was adopted for multivariate analysis of significant parameters. All statistical tests were two-sided, and a p value of 0.05 was considered statistically significant.Conclusions/SignificanceThe study describes the main applications of HFUS to assess changes in phenotypic parameters in the developing CD1 mouse embryo and fetus during pregnancy and to evaluating physiological fetal and placental growth and the development of principal organs such as the heart, kidney, liver, brain and eyes in the embryonic mouse. A database of normal structural and functional parameters of mouse development will provide a useful tool for the better understanding of morphogenetic and cardiovascular anomalies in transgenic and mutant mouse models.
Highlights
Real-time ultrasound imaging is routinely used for assessing pregnancy, fetal development and well being, as well as the effects of treatments that could alter these parameters in humans [1,2]
Common measurements performed by ultrasound to evaluate human fetal growth are outer–outer biparietal diameter (BPD), head circumference (HC), mean abdominal diameter (AD), abdominal circumference (AC) and femur length (FL) [1]
To reduce the number of animals needed for experimental purposes, more than one measurement was made in each embryo, with caution taken to limit the duration of anesthesia (Table 1)
Summary
Real-time ultrasound imaging is routinely used for assessing pregnancy, fetal development and well being, as well as the effects of treatments that could alter these parameters in humans [1,2]. The laboratory mouse has emerged as an appropriate model for fetal and perinatal studies because morphogenetic processes in mice show adequate homology to those in humans. HFUS is a non-invasive, relatively safe and inexpensive molecular imaging technology. The laboratory mouse has recently emerged as an appropriate model for fetal and perinatal studies because morphogenetic processes in mice exhibit adequate homology to those in humans, and genetic manipulations are relatively simple to perform in mice. High-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) has recently become available for small animal preclinical imaging and can be used to study pregnancy and development in the mouse. The objective of the current study was to assess the main applications of HFUS in the evaluation of fetal growth and placental function and to better understand human congenital diseases
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