MR in mouse models of cardiac disease

Transgenic and knockout mice can be used to study the genes and basic mechanisms involved in heart disease, and have therefore assumed a central role in modern cardiac research. MRI and MRS techniques have recently been developed for mice that enable the quantitative or semi‐quantitative in vivo assessment of cardiac anatomy, function, perfusion, infarction, Ca2+ influx, and metabolism. With these techniques, the normal mouse heart has been shown to be well suited as a model of human cardiac disease. The roles of individual genes in normal cardiac physiology have recently been studied by MR, including the role of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in β‐adrenergic stimulation, the roles of the inducible nitric oxide synthase and myoglobin in function, dilation, and energetics, and the role of cardiac troponin I in contractility. Furthermore, with a mouse model of myocardial infarction, the roles of the angiotensin II type 2 receptor, xanthine oxidase inhibitors, blood coagulation factor XIII, and inducible nitric oxide synthase in post‐infarct function and remodeling have been further elucidated. Non‐invasive in vivo MRI and MRS in mice provide a unique and powerful means for phenotyping genetically engineered mice and can improve our understanding of the roles of specific genes and proteins in cardiac physiology and pathophysiology. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.