Allometric scaling of echocardiographic measurements in healthy Spanish foals with different body weight.
Abstract: Scaling in biology is usually allometric, and therefore, the size of the heart may be expressed as a power function of body weight (BW). The present research analyses the echocardiographic measurements in 68 healthy Spanish foals weighed between 70 and 347kg in order to determine the correct scaling exponent for the allometric equation. The echocardiographic parameters measured were: left ventricular internal dimensions (LVID), free wall thickness (LVFWT), interventricular septum thickness (IVST) at systole (s) and diastole (d), EPSS (distance between the point E of the mitral valve and the interventricular septum), and aorta diameters at the level of the aortic valve (AOD), base of valve leaflets (ABS), sinus of Valsalva (ASV) and sino-tubular junction (AJT). Indices of left ventricular performance were calculated. It was found that LVIDd, IVSTs, AOD, and ASV have a relationship to BW raised to 0.300-0.368 power, whereas left ventricular end-diastolic volume and stroke volume scaled to BW raised to 0.731-0.712 power. With these data, appropriate values can be calculated for normal Spanish foals.
Publication Date: 2008-09-16 PubMed ID: 18799175DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2008.08.001Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research article explores the relationship between heart size and body weight in healthy Spanish foals, measured through echocardiography. The study determines suitable scaling constants to accurately reflect this relationship in an allometric context, which can be used to calculate normal values for these foals.
Objective and Methodology
- The core objective of the research was to analyze the allometric scaling of echocardiographic measurements in healthy Spanish foals who have varying body weights. The heart size is generally expressed as a power function of the body weight in allometric scaling.
- The study involved 68 Spanish foals with weights ranging between 70 and 347 kg. The researchers applied echocardiography to determine several heart-related parameters.
- The echocardiographic parameters included measurements of left ventricular internal dimensions (LVID), free wall thickness (LVFWT) and interventricular septum thickness (IVST) during systole and diastole, the distance between the point E of the mitral valve and the interventricular septum (EPSS), and aorta diameters at multiple levels.
- Additionally, the researchers calculated the indices of left ventricular performance based on these measures.
Results and Interpretation
- The outcome of the echocardiographic measurements showed that parameters such as LVIDd, IVSTs, AOD, and ASV are related to the body weight of the foals when raised to 0.300-0.368 power. This means these parameters increase in proportion to the body weight at a certain rate.
- Similarly, left ventricular end-diastolic volume and stroke volume scaled to the body weight when raised to 0.731-0.712 power. This suggests a more substantial impact of body weight on these parameters.
- The conclusions drawn from these results enable the production of appropriate values for healthy Spanish foals based on their body weight. These metrics can help establish a standardized baseline in veterinary cardiology for this specific breed and contribute to accurate and early detection of cardiac abnormalities.
Cite This Article
APA
Rovira S, Muñoz A, Rodilla V.
(2008).
Allometric scaling of echocardiographic measurements in healthy Spanish foals with different body weight.
Res Vet Sci, 86(2), 325-331.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2008.08.001 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Cardenal Herrera-CEU University, Avda. Seminario CEU s/n, 46113 Moncada, Valencia, Spain.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Body Weight / physiology
- Echocardiography / methods
- Echocardiography / veterinary
- Female
- Heart / physiology
- Horses / physiology
- Linear Models
- Male
- Reference Values
Citations
This article has been cited 7 times.- Berthoud D, Schwarzwald CC. Echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular size and systolic function in Warmblood horses using linear measurements, area-based indices, and volume estimates: A retrospective database analysis. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Jan;35(1):504-520.
- Ueda Y, Duler LMM, Elliot KJ, Sosa PD, Roberts JA, Stern JA. Echocardiographic reference intervals with allometric scaling of 823 clinically healthy rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). BMC Vet Res 2020 Sep 22;16(1):348.
- Marchesotti F, Vezzosi T, Tognetti R, Marchetti F, Patata V, Contiero B, Zini E, Domenech O. Left atrial anteroposterior diameter in dogs: reference interval, allometric scaling, and agreement with the left atrial-to-aortic root ratio. J Vet Med Sci 2019 Dec 5;81(11):1655-1662.
- van Essen GJ, Te Lintel Hekkert M, Sorop O, Heinonen I, van der Velden J, Merkus D, Duncker DJ. Cardiovascular Function of Modern Pigs Does not Comply with Allometric Scaling Laws. Sci Rep 2018 Jan 15;8(1):792.
- Karsten S, Stephanie S, Vedat Y. Reference intervals and allometric scaling of two-dimensional echocardiographic measurements in 150 healthy cats. J Vet Med Sci 2017 Nov 10;79(11):1764-1771.
- Huesler IM, Mitchell KJ, Schwarzwald CC. Echocardiographic Assessment of Left Atrial Size and Function in Warmblood Horses: Reference Intervals, Allometric Scaling, and Agreement of Different Echocardiographic Variables. J Vet Intern Med 2016 Jul;30(4):1241-52.
- Amin S, Dewey H, Lasso A, Sabin P, Han Y, Vicory J, Paniagua B, Herz C, Nam H, Cianciulli A, Flynn M, Laurence DW, Harrild D, Fichtinger G, Cohen MS, Jolley MA. Euclidean and Shape-Based Analysis of the Dynamic Mitral Annulus in Children using a Novel Open-Source Framework. J Am Soc Echocardiogr 2024 Feb;37(2):259-267.
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