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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 294/6/H2480    most recent 91431.2007v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (4) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hinton, R. B. Articles by Yutzey, K. E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hinton, R. B., Jr. Articles by Yutzey, K. E.

Mouse heart valve structure and function: echocardiographic and morphometric analyses from the fetus through the aged adult

Divisions of ¹Cardiology and ²Molecular Cardiovascular Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio

Submitted 10 December 2007 ; accepted in final form 28 March 2008

The purpose of this study is to provide standard echocardiographic and morphometric data for normal mouse valve structure and function from late fetal to aged adult stages. Cross-sectional, two-dimensional and Doppler transthoracic echocardiography was performed in C57BL6 mice anesthetized with 1% to 2% isoflurane at embryonic day 18.5 (late fetal), 10 days (neonate), 1 mo (juvenile), 2 mo (young adult), 9 mo (old adult), and 16 mo (aged adult). Normal annulus dimensions indexed to age or weight, and selected flow velocities, were established by echocardiography. After echocardiographic imaging, hearts were harvested and histological and morphometric analyses were performed. Morphometric analysis demonstrated a progressive valve thinning and elongation during the fetal and juvenile stages that plateaued during adult stages (ANOVA, P < 0.01); however, there was increased thickening of the hinge of the aortic valve with advanced age, reminiscent of human aortic valve sclerosis. There was no age-related calcification. The results of this study provide comprehensive echocardiographic and morphometric data for normal mouse valve structure and function from late fetal to aged adult stages and should prove useful as a reference standard for future studies using mouse models of progressive valve disease.

cardiac development; echocardiography; reference standard

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