Comparison of echocardiographic parameters in Santa Inês sheep breed and healthy Brazilian human adults

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to compare the values of echocardiographic parameters in healthy Santa Inês sheep with standardized values for normal Brazilian human adults. Two-dimensional echocardiography, Movement mode, and pulse wave and color flow Doppler were performed in 39 non-sedated young adult sheep of Santa Inês breed. Dimensions such as the end-diastolic diameter, ejection fraction, and shortening fraction were similar to those of Brazilian human adults. The end-diastolic and -systolic volumes were within the intervals established by the American Society of Echocardiography and the European Association of Echocardiography for normal human adults; guidelines followed in Brazil as references for humans. The normalized end-diastolic diameter exceeded the normal upper limit but approached it when the index was corrected with the cardiac mass/body surface area of sheep in relation to humans. Diastolic parameters were also within normal human intervals, except for a slightly shorter Mitral E-wave deceleration time. We conclude that the echocardiographic parameters of the systolic and diastolic performance of the left ventricle in Santa Inês sheep can be reliably extrapolated to that of Brazilian human adults, thus supporting the use of national sheep models in human heart disease research.