Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has become an accurate and versatile imaging modality to visualize the cardiovascular system in normal or abnormal conditions. In preclinical research, small rodent animal models of human cardiovascular diseases are frequently used to investigate the basic underlying mechanism of normal and abnormal cardiac function and for monitoring the disease progression under therapy. Technical improvements have enabled the transfer of CMR to small animal research, and as such made this non-invasive technique available to provide insights into cardiac morphology, function, perfusion, and pathophysiology in small animal cardiac disease models. This article reviews the basic technical approaches to in vivo small animal magnetic resonance imaging and its variants for the most promising applications.

心血管磁共振（CMR）成像已成为一种准确而通用的成像方式，可以在正常或异常情况下可视化心血管系统。在临床前研究中，人类心血管疾病的小型啮齿动物模型经常用于研究正常和异常心脏功能的基本潜在机制以及监测治疗过程中疾病的进展。技术进步已使CMR转移到小型动物研究中，因此使这种非侵入性技术可用于深入了解小型动物心脏病模型中的心脏形态，功能，灌注和病理生理。本文回顾了基本的技术方法体内 小动物磁共振成像及其变体，最有前途的应用。