Determination of electrocardiogram in anesthetized rabbits and rats

Summary

The source of this experiment is the official website of the Fourth Military Medical University

Operation method

Determination of electrocardiogram in anesthetized rabbits and rats

Principle

An electrocardiogram is a graph that reflects changes in the electrical activity of the heart, and is often used as a body surface electrocardiogram (ECG). The surface ECG is an electrocardiogram signal collected through lead wires connected to electrodes in the extremities and chest electrodes. There are two types of recordings: full-lead ECG recordings and standard II-lead ECG recordings. Full-lead ECG recordings include standard limb leads, pressurized limb leads, and chest leads for a total of 12 recordings, which are mostly used for clinical detection and evaluation of heart diseases. The standard II-lead ECG recordings are often used to monitor changes in heart rhythm during experiments or when replicating myocardial ischemia models. Generally, only four limbs electrodes are connected to the animal experimental ECG, which are: right upper limb red, left upper limb yellow, left lower limb green, and right lower limb black, and six ECG shapes are recorded in standard limb leads Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ and pressurized limb leads aVL, aVR, and aVF. The standard lead II ECG was recorded only for lead II shapes.

Materials and Instruments

Rabbit Rat
Ethyl carbamate Sodium pentobarbital Procaine injection Heparin
Animal laboratory bench Multi-channel physiological signal acquisition and recording instruments

Move

One rabbit was taken, weighed, and anesthetized by intravenous injection of 20% urethane injection 5 ml/kg or 1.5% pentobarbital sodium injection 2 ml/kg via the ear margin, and the injection speed should not be too fast. After the animal was anesthetized, it was fixed on the experimental table, and the electrode needle was inserted into the subcutaneous of the animal's limbs according to the connection of the right upper limb red, the left upper limb yellow, the left lower limb green, and the right lower limb black, and the lead wires were connected, so that the electrocardiogram could be recorded.

Caveat

The placement of electrodes in the extremities is very important in the acquisition and recording of ECG, especially when performing animal experiments. Be sure to insert the electrode needles under the skin of the limbs, because if they are inserted into the muscles, there will be myoelectric interference, which will affect the recording of ECG. In addition, when recording the ECG, the ECG machine or recording instrument should have a better ground connection, otherwise there will be interference from other electrical signals.

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