Echocardiography

Microminipigs (F3-02, F3-03, WT-03, and WT-04) were anaesthetised using intra-muscular injections of 0.5 mg/kg Dormicum and 10 mg/kg ketamine (Fujita Pharmaceutical) and anaesthesia was maintained with an inhalational mixture of 2–2.5% isoflurane and oxygen. General anaesthesia in F2-11 and WT-10 was induced by intra-muscular injections of 0.5 mg/kg Dormicum and 0.1 mg/kg medetomine followed by maintenance with 2–2.5% isoflurane and oxygen. Echocardiography was performed in the left lateral decubitus position under above anaesthesia conditions using a Vivid E95 digital ultrasound system with a 12-MHz 12S-D sector probe (GE Healthcare Japan, Tokyo). In the parasternal long-axis view, inter-ventricular septum (IVS), posterior wall (PW), left-ventricular (LV) end-diastolic diameter (LVEDd), and LV ejection fraction (LVEF) were calculated using the Teichholz method. In the apical four-chamber view, Doppler imaging variables of peak early diastolic filling velocity (E), deceleration time of E wave (DT), and peak atrial filling velocity (A) were measured.