Doppler echocardiographic estimation of left ventricular diastolic function and filling pressure on rabbits

Objective To explore the value of the combination of early diastolic mitral inflow(E) and mitral annulus velocity(Ea) in the estimation of left ventricular diastolic function and filling pressure.Methods Animal models of pressure overload-induced left ventricular hypertrophy(LVH) were established with abdominal aortic coarctation in 18 New-Zealand rabbits(model group),and 8 healthy rabbits served as normal controls.Two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiographic measurements were detected before abdominal coarctation and in LVH models.Results Compared with before abdominal coarctation,left atrial volume and left ventricular wall thickness increased in model group after abdominal coarctation(P0.01),and left ventricular end diastolic pressure(LVEDP) significantly increased(P0.01).Ea significantly decreased,and the ratio of E/Ea increased(all P0.01),but no significant difference of E/A was found.Significant correlation was found between LVEDP and E/Ea(r=0.54,P0.05).Conclusion In LVH rabbit models,Ea decreasing reflects the reduction of active relaxation of myocardial dysfunction,and E/Ea combination with LVEDP is useful in the evaluation of diastolic function and filling pressure.