Noninvasive quantification of regional ventricular function in rats: assessment of serial change and spatial distribution using ultrasound strain analysis.

Background: The optimal method for quantitative assessment of regional ventricular function in rats remains unclear. The goal of this study was to investigate the use of ultrasonic strain rate (SR) and strain analysis in evaluating the serial change and spatial distribution of regional contractile function in rats.

Methods: In all, 22 anesthetized rats underwent incremental dobutamine infusion (protocol 1) for assessment of serial change or underwent coronary ligation (protocol 2) for assessment of spatial distribution. For protocol 1, the serial change of systolic SR and strain during dobutamine was measured in the posterior myocardium on the short-axis view, and the systolic strain was compared with the percent change in wall thickening. For protocol 2, the spatial distribution of strain profile was analyzed in normal, peripheral ischemic, and central ischemic regions that were identified by myocardial contrast echocardiography.

Results: In protocol 1, the incremental dobutamine infusion resulted in a gradual increase in peak systolic SR. In contrast, peak systolic strain increased with low-dose dobutamine but tended to decrease for higher doses of dobutamine. Further, the serial change of peak systolic strain corresponded to changes in percent change in wall thickening, but the strain values were always lower than percent change in wall thickening. In protocol 2, the strain profile indicated postsystolic thickening in the peripheral ischemic region and indicated systolic wall thinning in the central ischemic region.

Conclusions: Ultrasonic determination of SR and strain is an accurate and noninvasive method of quantitation of the serial change and spatial distribution of regional contractile function in rats.