As a means for the early detection and diagnosis of potential abnormality of cardiac functions and for the genetic analysis of genetic factor distribution conditions, attempts were made to apply mechanocardiography to non-attacked cows originated from an RCC breeding stock line having genetic character of hereditary dilated cardiomyopathy. Among 20 RCC cows tested, four died of dilated cardiomyopathy. Another one died of acute heart failure, but with a high probability of being dilated cardiomypathy. When 8 survived cows were checked by means of the mechanocardiography, relatively significant analytical data of abnormality were obtained from five cows which, however, were judged as genetically non-attacked healthy ones.
From the remaining three cows, almost normal analytical data were obtained with only slight changes. Three cows, therefore, were judged as non-attacked normal ones. When expressed and expected values of the gene distribution in the group were analyzed by means of population genetics, it was found that the analytical results coincided theoretically with the gene frequency in the group without any contradiction. Since distribution conditions of genetic factors in terms of generation coincided with Mendel's law, it was able to understand these conditions in each heifer. A possibility was indicated that mechanocardiography could be applied to mass examination for early diagnosis and prevention of latent heart failure and for understanding of the distribution condition of genetic factors. On the basis of these results, it was thought that prevention of the onset of dilated cardiomyopathy through the elimination of the corresponding genetic factor could be achieved by avoiding crossing between lines having the factor and by performing crossing with a breeding stock having AA factor and hardly showing abnormality by mechanocardiography.
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