Meeting Banner
Abstract #1132

Cardiac MRI Reveals Progressive Abnormalities in Heart Shape and Function in the R6/2 Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease

Stephen J. Sawiak1, 2, Nigel I. Wood3, Guido Buonincontri1, T Adrian Carpenter1, A Jennifer Morton3

1Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England, United Kingdom; 2Behavioural and Clinical Neurosciences Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; 3Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Although incidence of heart disease is similar amongst those with and without Huntington's disease (HD), 30% of HD patients compared to 2% of non-HD sufferers will die from the disease. We examined the R6/2 mouse using cardiac MRI and found there are progressive abnormalities in morphology and function. We used a simple parameter of LV shape and showed the heart is more bent in disease carriers in this model.

Abstract PDF

Keywords

abnormalities acting affecting aged amongst animal appearance assessment atria available axis bending bent black blocks blood brain burg calculating cardiac carpenter caused cell centroids chamber cine circular clinical coil combined congenital controls cure cycle death defined delineated deterioration determined diastole diastolic died disease disorder dissection effective ejection england evidence examination examined excluded fatal finished fitted fitting flash fraction frame frames freely function functional gating gene heart hearts in vivo incidence increasing institute invariably investigate kingdom lancet larger leading light major manually marked measured mechanisms median mice model morphological morphology motor mouse neurological noted output pathology patients peripheral pharmacology placed position potential progressive prospective psychiatric quantify rather respectively reveals saturation scanned sections segment shape shed short significance significantly slice slices software spectrometer stroke student suggesting surface systole systolic table tailed taken therapeutics though triggering upper vessels view views volume walker weeks widely wood worse