Mice cardiovascular imaging using ultrasound biomicroscopy in comparison with magnetic resonance imaging / 中华超声影像学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To establish the method and cardiovascular imaging in mice using ultrasound biomicroscopy(UBM) with anatomical confirmation by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and to evaluate the feasibility and value of UBM in mice cardiovascular imaging.Methods The mouse thoracic anatomy was elucidated using Signo 3.0T MR imaging on 2 healthy C57BL/6 adult male mice.The structures and flow of mice heart and great vessels in 16 healthy C57BL/6 adult male mice were showed and analyzed by Visualsonics Vevo 770 UBM through several acoustic windows, including left parasternal, right parasternal, apical regions, and suprasternalis.The systolic and diastolic function of mice heart were also evaluated.ResultsAnatomic characteristic of mice could be displayed by MR imaging.The heart was mostly located in left thoracic cavity.The angle between long axis of the heart and the midline of the chest was about 45 degrees.Left atrium,left ventricle, mitral valve and right ventricle were located on the left side of the midline of the chest.Aortic valve orifice, ascending aorta,right atrium and tricuspid valve were located on the right side of the midline of the chest.Left heart long axis view,left ventricular short axis view,ascending aorta long axis view,long axis view of aortic arch, aortic short axis view, right ventricular inflow tract long axis view, pulmonary artery long axis view and so on were obtained clearly using UBM.The structures of heart and great vessels were displayed and the cardiovascular parameters could be measured accurately,including left atrium,left ventricle,aorta and aortic arch,interventricular septum,right atrium, right ventricle, pulmonary artery, innominate artery, right internal carotid artery and the velocity in each valve orifices from Doppler flow spectrum.No significant difference was found in the measurements between different age groups.Conclusions The cardiovascular structures and hemodynamics could be displayed by UBM in mice when appropriate acoustic windows and sections were selected.This novel imaging protocol provides us a non-invasive way to follow atherosclerosis in genes knockout mice.