Published in:
Open Access
01-10-2011 | Editorial comment
Evaluation of pulmonary arterial hypertension: invasive or noninvasive?
Authors:
A. van der Laarse, P. Steendijk, E. E. van der Wall
Published in:
The International Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging
|
Issue 7/2011
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Excerpt
In medical research animal models have demonstrated their value in elucidating (1) mechanisms of disease, (2) factors implicated in morbidity and mortality of the disease, and (3) new therapeutic avenues to treat the disease. For acute as well as chronic diseases, models for translational medicine have been developed and applied with great benefit. The use of experimental animals should comply with both the Animal Welfare Act and the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals in which researchers demonstrate that they have carefully considered the three R’s of animal testing alternatives: (1) Reduction of the numbers of animals used, (2) Refinement of techniques and procedures to reduce pain and distress, and (3) Replacement of animals by other models than living animals. Particularly the condition to reduce the number of animals necessary to test a hypothesis is difficult to meet, but the use of animal models and techniques that allow longitudinal measurements from the same animals may lead to a wealth of data from a limited number of animals. In translational research of cardiovascular disease the use of echocardiography allows longitudinal studies of natural history and therapeutic success. …