OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cardiac function of rats by two-dimensional and M-mode echocardiography using a new type of ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and to understand the feasibility and accuracy of this method.
Methods: Using this new type of ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, the probe frequency was 6MHz-19MHz, and 6 normal male SD rats were anesthetized to detect the left ventricular structure and various indexes by transthoracic ultrasound.
RESULTS: Transthoracic echocardiography can clearly display the general structure of the rat heart, and can accurately and stably obtain various cardiac function parameters of the left ventricle of the rat, which can be used to evaluate the cardiac function of the rat.
Conclusion: The new ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can obtain high-quality images of rat cardiac gross structure and stable and reliable cardiac function data. It is a non-invasive method that can continuously and accurately examine the gross structure of rat heart and evaluate cardiac function.