Normal Value of Transthoracic Echocardiography in Swine Model Animals (Sus scrofa domestica)

Abstract

Research on cardiovascular system disorders is increasingly being carried out in animal models. Swine is an animal model that is commonly used in biomedical research. This study was conducted to determine the normal value of the heart echocardiography of male and female swine (Sus scrofa domestica). There were 12 swine used in this study with an age of 3 to 4 months with an average body weight of 55 kg (52 to 69 kg).Transthoracic echocardiography examination with right parasternal (RPS) long-axis (LAx) and short-axis (SAx) positions using a 2.5-6.0 MHz phase-array probe transducer was performed on anesthetized swine. The RPS-SAx position aims to assess the shape and structure of the left ventricle of the swine heart, while the RPS-LAx aims to compare the dimensions between the ventricles and observe the movement of the mitral valve of the heart. The results of echocardiography examination showed that the structures of the left ventricle of swine that could be seen were the interventricular septum (IVS), left ventricle (LV), left ventricle wall (LVW), pericardium (P), papillary muscle (PM), and right ventricle (RV). The results showed that the values for the parameters of heart frequency (HR), left ventricular internal dimension at end-diastole (LVIDd), and stroke volume (SV) showed significant different results, while other parameters had non-significant results between males and females. Normal echocardiographic values in swine can be used as a reference in further cardiovascular research using swine as animal models.