Key result
Pregnancy in Great Dane bitches significantly increased diastolic dimensions, functional parameters, cardiac output, stroke volume, and heart rate, and decreased systolic dimensions (p<0.01).
Why the study?
Breed-specific echocardiographic parameters may be helpful to evaluate whether systolic function varies during pregnancy, given breed differences in baseline values and myocardial disease predispositions.
Does pregnancy alter echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular function in healthy Great Dane bitches?
Observational (n=9)
Does pregnancy alter echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular function in healthy Great Dane bitches?
p-value: p=<0.01
Uncomplicated pregnancy in Great Danes is associated with enhanced systolic function and increased preload as a maternal adaptation.
May inform breed-specific LV norms in pregnant Great Danes; leaves open whether systolic function changes during uncomplicated pregnancy.
Pregnancy is associated with adaptation of the left ventricular (LV) function. Due to differences between breeds in baseline echocardiographic values and specific predispositions for myocardial diseases, breed-specific echocardiographic parameters may be helpful to evaluate whether the systolic function varies during pregnancy. This study enrolled nine healthy Great Dane bitches with uncomplicated pregnancy. Echocardiographic M-mode and B-mode data were collected before ovulation and within 7 days of the predicted parturition term. Evaluated parameters were: LV dimension in diastole (LVd) and systole (LVs), end-diastolic (EDVI) and end-systolic (ESVI) volumes indexed to body surface area (BSA), end-diastolic (EDV) and end-systolic (ESV), end-point-septal-separation (EPSS), left atrium to aortic root ratio (LA/Ao), sphericity index (SI), ejection fraction (EF), fractional shortening (FS), stroke volume (SV), heart rate (HR), and cardiac output (CO). The ANOVA showed a statistical effect of the age of gestation (p < 0.01) on the increase of diastolic dimensions and functional parameters and on the decrease of systolic dimensions. The CO increase parallels the rise in SV and HR (p < 0.01). No statistical differences were observed for EPSS, LA/Ao, and SI. The changes in cardiac chambers and function are likely to reflect maternal adaptation to allow the fetal development in uncomplicated pregnancy. The present study provides specific echocardiographic values in uncomplicated pregnancy of Great Danes, showing that the systolic function is enhanced and that the increase in preload, observed during gestation, is the likely mechanism.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Melandri et al. (2020) conducted an observational in Uncomplicated pregnancy (n=9). Pregnancy vs. Pre-ovulation baseline was evaluated on Echocardiographic parameters including diastolic and systolic dimensions, functional parameters, cardiac output, stroke volume, and heart rate (p=<0.01). Pregnancy in Great Dane bitches significantly increased diastolic dimensions, functional parameters, cardiac output, stroke volume, and heart rate, and decreased systolic dimensions (p<0.01).
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: