Echocardiographic characterization of the cardiovascular phenotype in rodent models.

Echocardiographic techniques are commonly utilized to describe the rodent cardiovascular phenotype. These approaches are contrasted with other in vivo methods and are positioned in the assay selection process by a review of studies from our laboratory and others. Although not conventionally considered a biomarker, the technique has the potential to be exploited as a marker of intentional or unanticipated toxic biological effects in the preclinical development of drugs and chemicals.