Imaging techniques for visualizing and phenotyping congenital heart defects in murine models. Issue 2 (29th July 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Liu, Xiaoqin; Tobita, Kimimasa; Francis, Richard J.B.; Lo, Cecilia W.
• Is Part Of: Birth defects research. Volume 99:Issue 2(2013)
• Page Start: 93
• Page End: 105
• Publication Date: 2013-07-29
• Subjects: Abnormalities, Human -- Research -- Periodicals; Human embryo -- Abnormalities -- Periodicals; 612.64
• DOI: 10.1002/bdrc.21037
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1542-975X

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Mouse model is ideal for investigating the genetic and developmental etiology of congenital heart disease. However, cardiovascular phenotyping for the precise diagnosis of structural heart defects in mice remain challenging. With rapid advances in imaging techniques, there are now high throughput phenotyping tools available for the diagnosis of structural heart defects. In this review, we discuss the efficacy of four different imaging modalities for congenital heart disease diagnosis in fetal/neonatal mice, including noninvasive fetal echocardiography, micro‐computed tomography (micro‐CT), micro‐magnetic resonance imaging (micro‐MRI), and episcopic fluorescence image capture (EFIC) histopathology. The experience we have gained in the use of these imaging modalities in a large‐scale mouse mutagenesis screen have validated their efficacy for congenital heart defect diagnosis in the tiny hearts of fetal and newborn mice. These cutting edge phenotyping tools will be invaluable for furthering our understanding of the developmental etiology of congenital heart disease. <bold>Birth Defects Research (Part C) 99:93–105, 2013.</bold> © <bold>2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.</bold></p> </abstract>