Effect of Pressure on Liver Stiffness During the Development of Liver Fibrosis in Rabbits.
This study was designed to investigate whether hepatic arterial pressure and portal pressure have an effect on liver stiffness during the development of liver fibrosis. Liver fibrosis was induced in 50 healthy New Zealand white rabbits. Laparotomy was performed to measure liver stiffness, and the portal vein and hepatic artery were successively ligated to repeat the measurements. A significant difference was observed among liver stiffness values measured at different time points (F = 22.82, p < 0.001). Differences between original liver stiffness and liver stiffness measured after portal ligation were positively correlated with portal pressure (r = 0.801, p < 0.001). In animals with grade 4 liver fibrosis, the increase in liver stiffness caused by pressure was greater than that caused by extracellular matrix accumulation (p = 0.002). In conclusion, hepatic arterial pressure and portal pressure have a significant effect on liver stiffness during the development of liver fibrosis.
Department of Diagnostic Ultrasound, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing City, China.
Wen Bo
WB
Tang
Department of Diagnostic Ultrasound, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing City, China.
Qing Hua
QH
Xu
Department of Diagnostic Ultrasound, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing City, China.
Zi Yu
ZY
Jiao
Department of Diagnostic Ultrasound, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing City, China; Department of Ultrasound, Central Hospital of Eerduosi City, Eerduosi City, Neimenggu Province, China.
Rong
R
Wu
Department of Diagnostic Ultrasound, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing City, China; Department of Medical Imaging, Military General Hospital of Beijing PLA, Dongcheng District, Beijing City, China.
Qing
Q
Song
Department of Diagnostic Ultrasound, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing City, China. Electronic address: lyk301@163.com.
Yu Kun
YK
Luo
D000818:Animals; D062186:Arterial Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D017082:Portal Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011817:Rabbits; D014463:Ultrasonography
Liver fibrosis; Liver stiffness; Pressure; Supersonic Shear Imaging; Ultrasound