Echocardiographic Assessment of Cardiac Function in Mouse Models
Summary
Echocardiography in mouse models offers a non-invasive, high-resolution window into cardiac anatomy and performance, enabling longitudinal studies of disease mechanisms and therapeutic interventions. Advances in ultrahigh-frequency transducers and gated imaging have overcome challenges posed by small chamber dimensions and rapid heart rates. Standard modes—M-mode and B-mode—yield measures of wall motion, chamber dimensions, ejection fraction and fractional shortening, while Doppler techniques assess inflow and outflow velocities. More recent developments in speckle-tracking and multi-dimensional imaging permit quantification of myocardial strain, volumes and synchrony without geometric assumptions. Rigorous protocols and automated analysis platforms now support reproducible assessment of hypertrophy, infarction, fibrotic remodelling and pharmacological responses in genetically engineered and injury-based mouse models, driving translational insights into human cardiac pathophysiology.
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Echocardiographic Assessment of Cardiac Function in Mouse Models publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in echocardiographic assessment of cardiac function in mouse models across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Ejection fraction (EF): Proportion of end-diastolic volume ejected per heartbeat, expressed as a percentage.
Fractional shortening (FS): Relative change in left ventricular diameter between diastole and systole, indicating contractile function.
Speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE): Technique that follows natural acoustic markers in the myocardium to quantify strain and strain rate.
Strain: Deformation of myocardial tissue during contraction, reported as percentage change in length.
Three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE): Volumetric imaging modality that acquires full chamber datasets, enabling direct measurement of volumes without geometric models.
Doppler imaging: Ultrasound mode that captures blood flow velocities to assess diastolic function and valvular dynamics.
References
- Preclinical Ultrasound Imaging—A Review of Techniques and Imaging Applications. Frontiers in Physics (2020).
- New Strategies for Echocardiographic Evaluation of Left Ventricular Function in a Mouse Model of Long-Term Myocardial Infarction. PLOS ONE (2012).
- High-Frequency 4-Dimensional Ultrasound (4DUS): A Reliable Method for Assessing Murine Cardiac Function. Tomography (2017).
- Speckle Tracking Based Strain Analysis Is Sensitive for Early Detection of Pathological Cardiac Hypertrophy. PLOS ONE (2016).
- Evaluation of a commercial multi-dimensional echocardiography technique for ventricular volumetry in small animals. Cardiovascular Ultrasound (2018).
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