Based in the Division of Cardiology, the Einstein Cardiovascular Physiology and Imaging Core provides echocardiographic, blood pressure telemetry, and surgical services to funded investigators interested in cardiac and vascular structure and function in human and animal studies.
Cardiovascular Physiology and Imaging Core services are available to all Einstein investigators as well as investigators at other institutions.
Lab Procedures
The core’s experienced staff use a focused systematic approach to studying the mouse circulatory system under basal and pathophysiologic conditions, providing consistent results using validated techniques with little experimental variation.
The core's 2 full-time research technicians routinely perform the following procedures:
- myocardial and hepatic ischemia-reperfusion surgeries
- congestive heart failure models (post-infarction and transverse aortic constriction)
- echocardiography
- left ventricular pressure-volume studies
- radiotelemetry surgery
- customized surgical procedures
Investigators are able to learn surgical techniques and analytical concepts to conduct their own independent experiments using the facilities’ equipment. Alternatively, the facility performs these services for investigators.
Core staff routinely meet with investigators to discuss experimental design and assess which procedure answers the proposed questions. Services may be customized to meet individual investigators' needs.
Equipment
The Einstein Cardiovascular Physiology and Imaging Core laboratory includes 10 fully equipped surgical stations with Olympus SZ61 dissecting microscopes, Hugo-Sachs model 845 ventilators, oxygen supplies, heat lamps, rodent operating tables, and a complete set of surgical instruments at each station.
The facility contains all of the necessary equipment to measure myocardial infarct size including 2 McIlwain tissue choppers, water baths, and 2 high-resolution digital cameras interfaced with Dell computers.
The lab has 2 fully equipped VisualSonics Vevo 770 ultrasound imaging units equipped with the rail system and complete software package for full cardiovascular imaging capability (i.e., echocardiography and vascular imaging) in both mice and rats.
There are 12 DSI radiotelemeters with receivers interfaced with EMKA Technologies software for continuous recording of mean arterial blood pressure (i.e., aortic pressures), heart rate, and core body temperature in conscious mice and rats. The lab also has 10 radiotelemeters for continuous ECG measurement in both conscious mice and rats. Millar Instruments catheters and necessary software are used to assess left ventricular pressure-volume relations in resting animals and following pharmacological stress.
