Echocardiography

Figure 1: Percent Fraction Shortening for BL10 versus MDX male mice at 49-53 weeks. Mean with standard error showing statistical significance (***) with a p-value <0.001

Figure 2: Percent Ejection fraction for BL10 versus MDX  for male mice at 49-53 weeks. Mean with standard error showing statistical significance (***) with a p-value <0.001

Echocardiography measures cardiac function, which is severely compromised in muscular dystrophy murine models. Mice are anaesthetized and placed on a heated image platform, where both heart rate and temperature are monitored to minimize physiological variation. Mice are imaged using a high-frequency echocardiography machine following a standardized protocol to systematically evaluate cardiac size and function. Primary echocardiography measurements are fraction shortening, ejection fractioning and heart rate. We can also measure pulmonary/aortic velocity, left and right ventricle E/A ratio, myocardial performance index, left and right ventricle stroke volume and cardiac output.