Analysis of systolic strain in rabbits with myocardial infarction with speckle tracking echocardiography

Objective To evaluate the clinical value of two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography(2DSTI) for measurement of strain in New Zealand white rabbits with myocardial infarction after the ligation of left anterior descending artery.Methods 10 rabbits with myocardial infarction after the ligation of anterior descending artery and 10 healthy subjects were studied.High frame rate of two-dimensional images were recorded from the left ventricular short-axis at the levels of papillary muscle.Radial strain was measured in the left ventricular short-axis views with 2D strain software.Results Two-dimensional strain was obtained in segments with regional wall motion abnormalities in rabbits with myocardial infarction and the same segments in the healthy ones.Infarct segments in myocardial infarction rabbits showed significant reduction of radial strain compared with normal myocardium(P0.05).Conclusion Regional wall motion of left ventricle in patients with myocardial infarction can be evaluated accurately with Two dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography.It provides a accurate and noninvasive way to evaluate the systolic function of left ventricle.