Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Echocardiographic assessment of cardiac morphology and function in mutant dwarf rats.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Longobardi, S; Cittadini, A; Strömer, H; Katz, SE; Grossman, JD; Clark, RG; Morgan, JP; Douglas, PS
Published in: Growth Horm IGF Res
October 2000

Although the mutant dwarf rat has been proposed as a model of growth hormone (GH) deficiency, few studies have addressed its cardiovascular abnormalities. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate cardiac structure and function in mutant dwarf rats in vivo before and after chronic GH administration, by means of transthoracic Doppler echocardiography. To this purpose, forty 90-day-old female dwarf rats were randomized to receive either GH treatment or placebo. Twenty age-and sex-matched Lewis rats (200-250 g) served as the control group. All rats underwent echocardiograms before receiving any drug and after 3 weeks of therapy. Echocardiographically detected left ventricular mass indexed to tibial length was reduced by 41% in dwarf rats compared to the control group. Such relative cardiac atrophy was also evident at the myocyte level, and was fully reversible after GH therapy. In contrast to the control group, dwarf rats also showed a reduction of left ventricular diastolic volumes normalized to tibial length and impaired cardiac performance as suggested by the reduction of cardiac index, abnormal stress-shortening relations, and a significant elevation of total peripheral vascular resistance. All these abnormalities were reversible upon GH therapy for 3 weeks. In conclusion, GH plays an important role in maintaining a normal cardiac structure and function. Since the observed changes are similar to those seen in GH-deficient men, the mutant dwarf rat represents a faithful animal model of GH deficiency.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Growth Horm IGF Res

DOI

ISSN

1096-6374

Publication Date

October 2000

Volume

10

Issue

5

Start / End Page

242 / 247

Location

Scotland

Related Subject Headings

  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Reference Values
  • Rats, Mutant Strains
  • Rats, Inbred Lew
  • Rats
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I
  • Humans
  • Human Growth Hormone
  • Homozygote
  • Hemodynamics
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Longobardi, S., Cittadini, A., Strömer, H., Katz, S. E., Grossman, J. D., Clark, R. G., … Douglas, P. S. (2000). Echocardiographic assessment of cardiac morphology and function in mutant dwarf rats. Growth Horm IGF Res, 10(5), 242–247. https://doi.org/10.1054/ghir.2000.0160
Longobardi, S., A. Cittadini, H. Strömer, S. E. Katz, J. D. Grossman, R. G. Clark, J. P. Morgan, and P. S. Douglas. “Echocardiographic assessment of cardiac morphology and function in mutant dwarf rats.Growth Horm IGF Res 10, no. 5 (October 2000): 242–47. https://doi.org/10.1054/ghir.2000.0160.
Longobardi S, Cittadini A, Strömer H, Katz SE, Grossman JD, Clark RG, et al. Echocardiographic assessment of cardiac morphology and function in mutant dwarf rats. Growth Horm IGF Res. 2000 Oct;10(5):242–7.
Longobardi, S., et al. “Echocardiographic assessment of cardiac morphology and function in mutant dwarf rats.Growth Horm IGF Res, vol. 10, no. 5, Oct. 2000, pp. 242–47. Pubmed, doi:10.1054/ghir.2000.0160.
Longobardi S, Cittadini A, Strömer H, Katz SE, Grossman JD, Clark RG, Morgan JP, Douglas PS. Echocardiographic assessment of cardiac morphology and function in mutant dwarf rats. Growth Horm IGF Res. 2000 Oct;10(5):242–247.
Journal cover image

Published In

Growth Horm IGF Res

DOI

ISSN

1096-6374

Publication Date

October 2000

Volume

10

Issue

5

Start / End Page

242 / 247

Location

Scotland

Related Subject Headings

  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Reference Values
  • Rats, Mutant Strains
  • Rats, Inbred Lew
  • Rats
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I
  • Humans
  • Human Growth Hormone
  • Homozygote
  • Hemodynamics