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High-frequency ultrasound measurement of heart function and fetoplacental status using Vevo 770

  • We employ high resolution ultrasound to quantitatively measure cardiac function in lightly anesthetized mice. The Vevo 770 uses a 45MHz single element transducer to visualize heart structures at 50uM resolution, and retrospective imaging allows for the reproduction of a single cardiac cycle derived from over 1,000 heart beats of data.
  • From these cineloops, clinically relevant measures of left ventricular function including ejection fraction and fractional shortening are gathered. These measurements are performed under light inhalant anesthetic, which has a minimal bradycardic effect and allows for daily imaging of mouse heart function.
  • Alternatively, the Vevo 770 can be used with additional transducer heads that operate at scanning resolutions of up to 80MHz, which allows for the measurement of fetal structures including fetal blood flow and embryo heart size.
  • Using additional transducer heads that operate at scanning resolutions of up to 80MHz, we also employ the Vevo 770 to examine fetal health parameters such as heart rate, overall development, embryo size and umbilical blood flow. Implantation sites can be imaged from 7.5dpc throughout gestation. We have used the ultrasound to score the embryonic health status of BPH/5 mice at 10.5dpc, and differences amongst embryos translate to fetal demise in this mouse model. We can image the embryos non-invasively or exteriorize the uterus and examine the implantations sites individually, noting location along the uterine horn.

VEVO imaging system.

Impaired cardiac function following MI-induced heart failure as assessed by echocardiography.

Normal BPH/5 embryo.

(near-normal) (compromised) (fetal demise)

Varying embryonic status in e10.5 BPH/5.