Functional Cardiovascular Characterization of the Common Marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

Appropriate cardiovascular animal models are urgently needed to investigate genetic, molecular, and therapeutic approaches, yet the translation of results from the currently used species is difficult due to their genetic distance as well as their anatomical or physiological differences. Animal species that are closer to the human situation might help to bridge this translational gap. The common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) is an interesting candidate to investigate certain heart diseases and cardiovascular comorbidities, yet a basic functional characterization of its hemodynamic system is still missing. Therefore, cardiac functional analyses were performed by utilizing the invasive intracardiac pressure-volume loops (PV loop) system in seven animals, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in six animals, and echocardiography in five young adult male common marmosets. For a direct comparison between the three methods, only data from animals for which all three datasets could be acquired were selected. All three modalities were suitable for characterizing cardiac function, though with some systemic variations. In addition, vena cava occlusions were performed to investigate the load-independent parameters collected with the PV loop system, which allowed for a deeper analysis of the cardiac function and for a more sensitive detection of the alterations in a disease state, such as heart failure or certain cardiovascular comorbidities.

Overview of special issue on current advances in Brazilian biomedical and anatomical sciences

This special issue of The Anatomical Record honors the bridges of knowledge and communications between Brazil and the United States in Anatomical Science, Healthcare, and Medical Education. The volume is organized in two sets of manuscripts: the first one stems from presentations of Brazilian colleagues in the latest iteration of the Building Bridges outreach initiative-a meeting entitled Building Bridges Back to Back, held at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, in December of 2019; the second, is a compilation of selected papers submitted independently to The Anatomical Record, authored by Brazilian researchers. All abstracts in this volume are featured in English and in Portuguese, and the opening piece is fully available in both languages. This bold and innovative addition represents the commitment of The Anatomical Record to support and help grow our bridges; it is a gesture of utmost respect and appreciation for our people and our culture. Together, our efforts to advance the knowledge in basic, translational, and clinical sciences, to expand our connections, and to build on our relationships across boundaries becomes a reality. This is an introduction and an overview of the manuscripts contained in this very special issue.