Advanced 4-chamber echocardiography techniques enable clinically matched precise characterization of heart disease progression in mice
Data files
Jul 25, 2025 version files 1.74 MB
-
COMMSMED-24-0778A_Supplementary_Data.zip
1.74 MB
-
README.md
3.79 KB
Abstract
Background: Transthoracic echocardiography remains the primary non-invasive method for assessing cardiac function in clinical practice. However, technical challenges in acquiring accurate apical 4-chamber-long-axis (A4CLAX) views have historically limited mouse studies to left ventricle (LV) assessment using parasternal short-axis (SAX) M-mode imaging.
Methods: To overcome this limitation, we developed a novel A4CLAX imaging approach for mice and performed a comparative analysis with established echocardiographic methods to assess cardiac function in healthy mouse hearts. To evaluate the utility of A4CLAX in detecting disease progression, we longitudinally monitored cardiac function of C57BL/6N mice (male and female) following severe transverse aortic constriction (TAC), using both long-axis biplane (LAX-BP) and conventional SAX M-mode assays.
Results: Here we show that LAX-BP echocardiography demonstrates volumetric accuracy comparable to cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and detects significant LV functional decline within the first week post-TAC–changes that are not clearly captured by M-mode imaging. Importantly, A4CLAX further enables clinically relevant Doppler assessments, allowing detection of mitral valve regurgitation, restrictive filling patterns, and desynchronized valve motion. It also facilitates right ventricle (RV) functional evaluation and improved atrial visualization, revealing progressive enlargement of the left atrial (LA) and left atrial appendage (LAA) associated with worsening diastolic function.
Conclusion: The A4CLAX imaging approach provides clinically comparable, comprehensive echocardiographic evaluation in murine models and offers improved sensitivity for detecting subtle changes in cardiac performance during disease progression.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.wdbrv161r
Description of the data and file structure
A zipped files contains all quantification echocardiographic assessment in mouse hearts.
Files and variables
File: COMMSMED-24-0778A_Supplementary_Data.zip
Description:
The fold includes seven files.
1. File: Figure 2-Adult WT mice (Prism). A Prism file contains the data of cardiac echocardiographic assessment in normal mice using long-axis biplane (LAX-BP), parasternal M-mode (M-mode), short-axis Simpson’s biplane (SAX-BP), parasternal long-axis (PLAX), and apical 4-chamber long-axis (A4CLAX) approaches. Left ventricle function parameters evaluated include heart rate (HR), end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), ejection fraction (EF), stroke volume (SV), and cardiac output (CO).
2. File: Figure 3A-3D TAC mice (Prism). A Prism file contains the data of left ventricle function assessment in mouse hearts post transverse aortic constriction (TAC) mice surgery using long-axis biplane (LAX-BP) and M-mode approaches. The LV internal diameter at end-diastole (LVDD) and diastolic (-d) thickness of LV anterior (LVAW) and posterior (LVPW) walls were measured in TAC mice pre-operation (Pre-Op), and at 1 (1WK) and 4 weeks (4WK) post-TAC surgery using PSAX M-Mode assays. LV function assays include heart rate (HR), ejection fraction (EF), stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), end-diastolic volume (EDV), and end-systolic volume (ESV).
3. File: Figure 3E Bland Altman Plot assays (excel). A excel spreadsheet contains the data of Bland-Altman plot assays of long-axis biplane (LAX-BP), M-mode, and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in assessment of left ventricle end-diastolic volume (EDV), and end-systolic volume (ESV).
4. File: Figure 4-LV TAC Mice (Prism). A Prism file contains the data of A4CLAX doppler assays of left ventricle (LV) function in transverse aortic constriction (TAC) mice. Pulsed Wave Doppler (PWD) of the mitral valve (MV) in mouse hearts (n=4) illustrate data from pre-operation (Pre-Op), 1-week (1WK) and 4-week (4WK) post-TAC surgery, including ejection time (ET), early and late diastolic MV inflow velocity (E and A waves), E/A ratio, E wave deceleration, and E wave deceleration time.
5. File: Figure 5-RV TAC mice (Prism). A Prism file contains the data of right ventricle function assessment of right ventricle (RV) function in mouse hearts post transverse aortic constriction (TAC) mice surgery. Assays include RV area during systolic and diastolic phases and RV Fractional Area Change (FAC) from pre-operation (Pre-Op) to 1-week (1WK) and 4-week (4WK) post-TAC surgery.
6. File: Figure 7-LA TAC mice (Prism). A Prism file contains the data of left atrium function assessment of left atrium (LA) function in mouse hearts post transverse aortic constriction (TAC) mice surgery. Assays include LA area during systolic and diastolic phases, along with a marked decline in LA Fractional Area Change (FAC) from pre-operation (Pre-Op) to 1-week (1WK) and 4-week (4WK) post-TAC surgery.
7. File: Supplemental Figure 3-MI mice (Prism). A Prism file contains the data of of left ventricle (LV) function assessment in mouse hearts post myocardial infarction (MI) mice surgery using long-axis biplane (LAX-BP) and M-mode approaches. LV function assays include the heart rate (HR), end-diastolic volume (EDV) and end-systolic volume (ESV), ejection fraction (EF), stroke volume (SV), and cardiac output (CO).
Code/software
Prism GraphPad and Microsoft Office Excel