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Figure 1 Age-associated increase in transaortic flow velocity in wild-type mice and in apolipoprotein E (ApoE)–/– mice. (A and B) Mice were anesthetized by intraperitoneal injection of nembutal. Transaortic flow signals were evaluated by continuous waves recorded through a near apical approach with a 12-MHz sector probe and an echocardiography imaging apparatus (EnVisor M2540A, PHILLIPS, Tokyo, Japan) in wild-type (A, 8- to 120-week-old, male n = 18, female n = 2) and ApoE–/– mice (B, 9- to 115-week-old, male n = 23, female n = 22). As the mice grew older, the velocity increased in both groups. There was a significant correlation between age and transaortic valve flow velocity ([AV] flow velocity) in both groups. (C and D) Transaortic flow patterns of a 98-week-old male C57BL/6 mouse (C) and a 103-week-old female ApoE–/– mouse (D). The maximum aortic flow velocity was 427 cm/s in the ApoE–/– mouse. (E) B-mode (upper panels) and color Doppler (lower panels) images were obtained through a parasternal approach with a 12-MHz linear probe and an ultrasound imaging system (LOGIQ 7, GE Medical Systems, Tokyo, Japan). Functional aortic regurgitation could be detected in senile ApoE–/– mice (arrowheads). Ao = aorta; AR = aortic regurgitation signal; LA = left atrium; LV = left ventricle; RA = right atrium; RV = right ventricle.
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