Development of electrocardiogram intervals during growth of FVB/N neonate mice

Christopher R. Heier, Thomas G. Hampton, Deli Wang, Christine J. Didonato

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Electrocardiography remains the best diagnostic tool and therapeutic biomarker for a spectrum of pediatric diseases involving cardiac or autonomic nervous system defects. As genetic links to these disorders are established and transgenic mouse models produced in efforts to understand and treat them, there is a surprising lack of information on electrocardiograms (ECGs) and ECG abnormalities in neonate mice. This is likely due to the trauma and anaesthesia required of many legacy approaches to ECG recording in mice, exacerbated by the fragility of many mutant neonates. Here, we use a non-invasive system to characterize development of the heart rate and electrocardiogram throughout the growth of conscious neonate FVB/N mice. Results: We examine ECG waveforms as early as two days after birth. At this point males and females demonstrate comparable heart rates that are 50% lower than adult mice. Neonatal mice exhibit very low heart rate variability. Within 12 days of birth PR, QRS and QTc interval durations are near adult values while heart rate continues to increase until weaning. Upon weaning FVB/N females quickly develop slower heart rates than males, though PR intervals are comparable between sexes until a later age. This suggests separate developmental events may contribute to these gender differences in electrocardiography. Conclusions: We provide insight with a new level of detail to the natural course of heart rate establishment in neonate mice. ECG can now be conveniently and repeatedly used in neonatal mice. This should serve to be of broad utility, facilitating further investigations into development of a diverse group of diseases and therapeutics in preclinical mouse studies.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number16
JournalBMC Physiology
Volume10
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 2010

Funding

We would like to thank Rocco Gogliotti and Dr. Suzan Hammond for assistance with data acquisition, in addition to Ajit Kale for technical assistance in analyzing waveforms. CRH is supported by Northwestern University’s Presidential Fellowship. Research support for these studies was provided by Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy DiD0809, the NIH Grants #1RO1NS060926-01 (NINDS), 3R01NS060926-02S3 (NINDS), 1R21HD058311-01A1 (NICHD), and by the Medical Research Junior Board Foundation at Children’s Memorial Hospital.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Physiology
  • Physiology (medical)

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