title: Grey-scale contrast enhancement in rabbit liver with SonoVue at different doses.
abstract: To evaluate the dose of ultrasound (US) contrast agent (UCA) in relation to the contrast-enhancement effect, an in vivo model of perfusion was studied using SonoVue, a second-generation UCA, and low mechanical index (MI) grey-scale harmonic imaging. SonoVue, at eight different doses (0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, 0.10, 0.12, 0.14 and 0.16 mL/kg BW), was applied in five normal rabbits. Flow-related parameters obtained from time-intensity curves were calculated and plotted over the contrast agent doses, and nonlinear curve fitting was performed. Results showed that, along with an increase of the administrated contrast agent dose, the enhancement duration (ED) and the area under the curve (AUC) increased logarithmically, and the time to enhancement (ET) decreased logarithmically. There was a progressive increase of the peak signal intensity (PSI) following an increase of SonoVue dose only in the dose range of 0.02 up to 0.10 mL/kg body weight (BW) in the portal vein and in the dose range of 0.02 up to 0.12 mL/kg BW in the liver parenchyma. Moreover, a good correlation was observed between the parameters obtained from liver parenchyma and those obtained from the portal vein. The results indicated that SonoVue in conjunction with continuous harmonic low-MI grey-scale imaging has the capability of flow quantification on both vessels and parenchyma. The parameters of time-intensity curve were influenced intensely by different contrast agent doses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Baowei
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Xiaoling
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xinghua
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chuanfu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008102:Liver Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D023421:Models, Animal; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011817:Rabbits; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D010743:Phospholipids; C420843:contrast agent BR1; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride