Research Article
The quantitative evaluation of cardiac structures and major thoracic vessels dimensions by means of lateral contrast radiography in Wistar albino rats (Rattus norvegicus)
Abstract
The aim of this study was to define reference values for vertebral heart score (VHS) and modified left atrium (LA)-VHS, cardiac structures, and major thoracic vessels measurements and ratios obtained from thoracic contrast radiography Wistar albino rats. VHS, modified LA-VHS, left (LV) and right (RV) ventricles, interventricular septum (IVS), aorta (Ao), caudal vena cava (CaVC), and fourth thoracic vertebrae (v) length (T4) were measured from left lateral thoracic contrast radiographs of 50 young, healthy adult male Wistar albino rats. LV/T4, RV/T4, IVS/T4, Ao/T4, CaVC/T4, and CaVC/ Ao ratios were calculated from these values. Measurements were performed by two observers unaware of the signalment data for interobserver repeatability analysis. Median values and references ranges were 8.2v (7.4-9.1) for VHS, 1.2 (1.0-1.5) for modified LA-VHS, 7.8 mm (6.2-9.1) for LV, 3.4 mm (2.8-4.5) for RV, 2.1 mm (1.8-3.0) for IVS, 2.1 mm (1.8-2.8) for Ao, 2.2 mm (1.7-3.0) for CaVC, 4 mm (3.5-4.5) for T4, 2 (1.5-2.3) for LV/T4, 0.85 (0.68-1.22) for RV/T4, 0.52 (0.42-0.83) for IVS/T4, 0.53 (0.42-0.75) for Ao/T4, 0.55 (0.45-0.7) for CaVC/T4 and 1.05 (0.74-1.1.37) for CaVC/Ao. Further studies are now needed to determine whether measurement values obtained from contrast radiography in rats are useful in the diagnosis of cardiomyopathy and heart failure. The radiographic measurement values presented in this study can be used as a reference baseline for both pet and laboratory rats.
Ethical Statement
This study was approved by the Animal Care Ethics Committee of Akdeniz University (no: B.30.2.AKD.0.05. 07.00/27).
References
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- Sleeper MM, Roland R, Drobatz KJ (2013): Use of the vertebral heart scale for differentiation of cardiac and noncardiac causes of respiratory distress in cats: 67 cases (2002–2003). J Am Vet Med Assoc, 242, 366-371.
- Stepien RL, Benson KG, Forrest LJ (1999): Radiographic measurement of cardiac size in normal ferrets. Vet Radiol Ultrasound, 40, 606-610.
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Year 2024,
Volume: 71 Issue: 1, 81 - 87, 02.01.2024
Abstract
References
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- Aycock KI, Campbell RL, Manning KB, et al (2014): A computational method for predicting inferior vena cava filter performance on a patient-specific basis. J Biomech Eng, 136, 081003.
- Bader M (2010): Rats models of cardiovascular diseases. Methods Mol Biol, 567, 403-410.
- Bagardi M, Locatelli C, Manfredi M, et al (2022): Breed-specific vertebral heart score, vertebral left atrial size, and radiographic left atrial dimension in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels: reference interval study. Vet Radiol Ultrasound, 63, 156-163.
- Black PA, Marshall C, Seyfried AW, et al (2011): Cardiac assessment of African hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris). J Zoo Wildlife Med, 42, 49-53.
- Bodh D, Hoque M, Saxena AC, et al (2016): Vertebral scale system to measure heart size in thoracic radiographs of Indian Spitz, Labrador retriever and Mongrel dogs. Vet World, 9, 371-376.
- Brown CS, Johnson LR, Visser LC, et al (2020): Comparison of fluoroscopic cardiovascular measurements from healthy dogs obtained at end-diastole and end-systole. J Vet Cardiol, 29, 1-10.
- Buchanan JW, Bucheler J (1995): Vertebral scale system to measure canine heart size in radiographs. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 206, 194–199.
- Buchanan JW (2000): Vertebral scale system to measure heart size in radiographs. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract, 30, 373-393.
- Camacho P, Fan H, Liu Z, et al (2016): Small mammalian animal models of heart disease. Am J Cardiovasc Dis, 6, 70-80.
- de Moura CR, das Neves Diniz A, da Silva Moura L, et al (2015): Cardiothoracic ratio and vertebral heart scale in clinically normal black-rumped agoutis (Dasyprocta prymnolopha, Wagler 1831). J Zoo Wildlife Med, 46, 314-319.
- Dias S, Anselmi C, Casanova M, et al (2017): Clinical and pathological findings in 2 rats (Rattus norvegicus) with dilated cardiomyopathy. J Exot Pet Med, 26, 205-212.
- Dias S, Anselmi C, Espada Y, et al (2021): Vertebral heart score to evaluate cardiac size in thoracic radiographs of 124 healthy rats (Rattus norvegicus). Vet Radiol Ultrasound, 6, 294-401.
- Dickson KV, Davies CW, Routh A, et al (2016): Radiographic cardiac silhouette measurement in captivelivingstone’s fruit bats (Pteropus livingstonii). J Zoo Wildl Med, 47, 963-969.
- Dogan E, Okur S, Hayırlı A, et al (2023): Vertebral heart score and cardiothoracic ratio in Wistar rats. Ankara Univ Vet Fak Derg, 70, 43-47.
- Doss GA, Mans C, Hoey S, et al (2017): Verterbral heart size in chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera) using radiography and CT. J Small Anim Pract, 58, 714-719.
- Garcia EB, Eshar D, Thomason JD, et al (2016): Cardiac assessment of zoo-kept, black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus) anesthetized with isoflurane. J Zoo Wildl Med, 47, 955-962.
- Gidlewski J, Petrie JP (2005): Therapeutic pericardiocentesis in the dog and cat. Clin Tech Small Anim Pract, 20, 151-155.
- Guglielmini C, Baron Toaldo M, Poser H, et al (2014): Diagnostic accuracy of the vertebral heart score and other radiographic indices in the detection of cardiac enlargement in cats with different cardiac disorders. J Feline Med Surg, 16, 812-825.
- Hashiyama JS, Gonda Y, Ishikawa H, et al (2006): Radiographic evaluation of caudal vena cava size as a useful parameter for the diagnosis of heart disease in dairy cattle. J Vet Med Sci, 68, 995-998.
- Johnson V, Hansson H, Mai W, et al (2008): The heart and major vessels. 97-98. Schwar T and Johnson V (Eds). BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Thoracic Imaging. Wiley, ISBN: 978-0-905-21497-9.
- Jojima FS, Lucina SB, Santos AL, et al (2019): Use of measurements from thoracic radiographs to identify high mean left atrium pressure in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease. Semina: Ciencias Agrarias, 40, 191-202.
- Koo TK, Li MY (2016): A Guideline of Selecting and Reporting Intraclass Correlation Coefficients for Reliability Research. J Chiropr Med, 15, 155-163.
- Lehmkuhl LB, Bonagura JD, Biller DS, et al (1997): Radiographic evaluation of caudal vena cava size in dogs. Vet Radiol Ultrasound, 38, 94-100.
- Lister A, Atkins C, Atwel R, et al (2005): Radiographic cardiac size in cats and dogs with heartworm disease compared with reference values using the vertebral heart scale method: 53 cases. J Vet Cardiol, 7, 33-40.
- Litster A, Buchanan JW (2000): Vertebral scale system to measure heart size in radiographs of cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 216, 210-214. 27.
- Ljubica SK, Krstic N, Trailovic RD (2007): Comparison of three methods of measuring vertebral heart size in German shepherd dogs. Acta Veterinaria (Beograd), 57, 133-141.
- Losonsky JM, Thrall ED, Lewis RE (1983): Thoracic radiographic abnormalities in 200 dogs with spontaneous heartworm infestation. Vet Radiol Ultrasound, 24, 120-123.
- Malcom EL, Visser LC, Phillips KL, et al (2018): Diagnostic value of vertebral left atrial size as determined from thoracic radiographs for assessment of left atrial size in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 253, 1038-1054.
- McInnes EF (2012): Wistar and Sprague-Dawley rats. 15-17. In: McInnes EF (Ed), Background Lesions in Laboratory Animals A Color Atlas. 1st ed. Elsevier, St. Louis, Missouri.
- Olive J, Javar R, Specchi S, et al (2015): Effect of cardiac and respiratory cycles on vertebral heart score measured on fluoroscopic images of healthy dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc, 246, 1091-1097.
- Onuma M, Ono S, Ishida T, et al (2010): Radiographic measurement of cardiac size in 27 rabbits. J Vet Med Sci, 72, 529-531.
- Puccinelli C, Citi S, Vezzosi T, et al (2021): A radiographic study of breed-specific vertebral heart score and vertebral left atrial size in Chihuahuas. Vet Radiol Ultrasnoud, 62, 20-26.
- Sanchez Salguero X, Prandi D, Labres-Diaz F, et al (2018): A radiographic measurement of left atrial size in dogs. Ir Vet J, 71, 25.
- Schober KE, Maerz I, Ludewig E, et al (2007): Diagnostic accuracy of electrocardiography and thoracic radiography in the assessment of left atrial size in cats: comparison with transthoracic 2-dimensional echocardiography. J Vet Inter Med, 21, 709-718.
- Sharp P, Villano J (2012): Important biological features. 1. In: Sharp P, Villano J (Eds), The Laboratory Rat. 2nd ed. Boca Raton: CRC Press.
- Sleeper MM, Roland R, Drobatz KJ (2013): Use of the vertebral heart scale for differentiation of cardiac and noncardiac causes of respiratory distress in cats: 67 cases (2002–2003). J Am Vet Med Assoc, 242, 366-371.
- Stepien RL, Benson KG, Forrest LJ (1999): Radiographic measurement of cardiac size in normal ferrets. Vet Radiol Ultrasound, 40, 606-610.
- Vosugh D, Nazem N (2019): Radiological evaluation of caudal vena cava in domestic shorthair cats with regard to right heart failure diagnosis. Bulg J Vet Med, 2, 220-226.
There are 39 citations in total.
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Veterinary Surgery, Veterinary Sciences (Other) |
| Journal Section | Research Article |
| Authors | |
| Publication Date | January 2, 2024 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2024Volume: 71 Issue: 1 |
