Reproducibility of ultrasound assessment of common carotid and femoral artery compliance and distensibility in the anesthetized rat.
OBJECTIVE
To validate ultrasound assessment of common carotid and femoral artery compliance and distensibility in the anesthetized rat.


METHODS
A reproducibility study was performed by taking measurements twice on two different days in anesthetized Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. The common carotid or femoral arterial diameter on one side and the contralateral arterial blood pressure were measured using a 10-MHz probe echo-Doppler device and an arterial catheter, respectively. The pressure and diameter data were stored in a computer programmed to calculate the arterial compliance and distensibility coefficients (Reneman formulas) and compliance and distensibility indices (arctangent model of Langewouters). A second experimental session was repeated 1 day later, and mean values, day-to-day mean differences and repeatability coefficients were calculated for each parameter.


RESULTS
For both the common carotid and the femoral artery, the mean values for heart rate, mean arterial pressure, arterial diameter, arterial compliance and arterial distensibility were similar on the first and second days; mean day-to-day differences were small and repeatability coefficients were in the range 5-10% of the mean value for diameter and mean arterial pressure and 10-20% of the mean value for compliance and distensibility.


CONCLUSIONS
In the anesthetized rat, ultrasound evaluation of the mechanical properties of the common carotid and femoral arteries is a reliable and reproducible technique.
Mircoli
L
L
Istituto di Clinica Medica Generale e Terapia Medica, University of Milan, Maggiore Hospital, Italy.
Mangoni
A A
AA
Perlini
S
S
Giannattasio
C
C
Ferrari
A U
AU
Mancia
G
G
D000768:Anesthesia, General; D000818:Animals; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D051381:Rats; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler