title: Evaluation of hepatobiliary scintigraphy as an indicator of hepatic function in domestic pigeons (Columba livia) before and after exposure to ethylene glycol.
abstract: This study investigated the use of quantitative hepatobiliary scintigraphy to assess liver function in 14 white Carneaux pigeons (Columba livia). Liver scintigraphy using 99mTc-mebrofenin was performed and liver function was quantified using deconvolutional analysis and the area under the normalized heart time-activity curve as previously described in the dog and horse. Liver biopsies were performed in all birds before and after toxin-induced liver damage with ethylene glycol. Before the induction of liver disease, all biopsy specimens showed varying degrees of granulomatous inflammation. After ethylene glycol administration, hepatic lesions were scored and compared with scintigraphic findings. Scintigraphic results showed a significant decrease (P = 0.04) in hepatic function using the area under the normalized time-activity curve. There was good correlation between the overall histologic score posttoxin exposure and scintigraphic measures of liver function (P < 0.03). Based upon these preliminary results, the area under the heart time-activity curve can determine hepatic extraction as a measure of hepatic parenchymal cell function. The results also showed that worsening hepatic cellular function correlated with increased histologic damage to the liver. The use of hepatobiliary scintigraphy using 99mTc-mebrofenin to determine liver function in pigeons has not been previously reported. Additional studies are warranted to evaluate the application of this technique in clinical patients and to establish the sensitivity of this technique.
authors: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-4544, USA. TLHADLEY@utk.edu
authors: Tarah L
authors: TL
authors: Hadley
authors: Gregory B
authors: GB
authors: Daniel
authors: David S
authors: DS
authors: Rotstein
authors: James S
authors: JS
authors: Avenell
authors: Nancy
authors: N
authors: Zagaya
authors: Michael P
authors: MP
authors: Jones
mesh_terms: D000814:Aniline Compounds; D000818:Animals; D019540:Area Under Curve; D010856:Columbidae; D019855:Ethylene Glycol / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D005998:Glycine; D006207:Half-Life; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects; D007098:Imino Acids / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D000814:Aniline Compounds; D007098:Imino Acids; D015609:Organotechnetium Compounds; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; C034837:technetium Tc 99m mebrofenin; D019855:Ethylene Glycol; D005998:Glycine