Figure 3.

Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography. (a) M-mode image of the left ventricle in the parasternal short-axis view, showing depth markers. EDD: left ventricular end-diastolic diameter. ESD: left ventricular end-systolic diameter. (b) Fractional shortening of the diameter of the left ventricle between the contracted and relaxed states and ejection fraction were calculated from echocardiographic measurements made during the cardiac cycle. Ejection fraction (EF) is the fraction of the end-diastolic volume that is ejected with each beat; that is, it is stroke volume (SV), divided by end-diastolic volume (EDV). *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 compared with the control group.