Table 2.

LV echocardiography analysis of control and nitrate-supplemented rats

	Control	Nitrate	P
Cardiac output, ml/min	85 ± 2	84 ± 2	0.96
Heart rate, beats/min	360 ± 5	359 ± 6	0.90
Stroke volume, μl	235 ± 5	238 ± 6	0.69
End-systolic dimension, mm	4.1 ± 0.1	4.3 ± 0.1	0.71
End-diastolic dimension, mm	7.7 ± 0.1	7.8 ± 0.1	0.38
End-systolic volume, μl	77 ± 6	80 ± 5	0.59
End-diastolic volume, μl	318 ± 15	322 ± 11	0.75
Ejection fraction, %	76 ± 1	74 ± 1	0.37
Fractional shortening, %	46 ± 1	45 ± 1	0.36

Values are means ± SE; n = 11–12 rats/group. Two-dimensional echocardiographic imaging of the left ventricle (LV) was performed after 7 days of nitrate supplementation in sedated rats.