P2435Non-invasive thermal imaging identifies left ventricular remodeling in mice

Abstract Purpose Thermal infrared imaging is a non-invasive tool with the potential to screen physiological processes and diseases. The use of this technique to image internal organs, such as the heart, has not yet been investigated. We aimed to determine the ability of a novel algorithm for thermal image-processing to detect structural and functional changes in a mouse model of cardiac remodeling. Methods We randomized 12 male mice (weight 20–25 gr) to treatment with either angiotensin-II (2 mg/kg/day, n=6) or saline (n=6) pump-infusion for 28 days. We measured blood pressure weekly, together with serial trans-thoracic echocardiography studies and histopathological evaluation of the hearts. We captured thermal images with the commercially available FLIR One camera, and processed images by our novel algorithm. Results Angiotensin infusion increased blood pressure together with cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis. Thermal imaging identified an increase in the fraction of the skin heated by the heart in angiotensin-treated mice, at day 28 of the experiment. Thermal image findings were correlated to left ventricular mass and volume by echocardiography (r=0.6, p=0.07 and r=0.8, p