title: Use of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasonography to Evaluate Chronic Allograft Nephropathy in Rats and Correlations between Time-Intensity Curve Parameters and Allograft Fibrosis.
abstract: This study quantitatively analyzed changes in the hemodynamic characteristics of renal allografts at different stages in a rat chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) model as well as the relationship between hemodynamic parameters and renal allograft fibrosis using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS). The experimental group used a CAN rat model (n = 30), and the control group used an orthotopic syngeneic renal transplant model (n = 30). After surgery, creatinine clearance rates were regularly monitored every 2 wk. The checking times were set at 4, 12 and 24 wk after surgery, which represent early, middle and late stage of CAN, respectively. At different stages of CAN, eight rats from each group were randomly selected for CEUS examination. Time-intensity curve (TIC) parameters, including rise time, peak intensity, mean transit time, area under the curve, wash-in slope, time-to-peak and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression; Vimentin expression; and chronic allograft damage index scores were evaluated by linear correlation analysis. Before the creatinine clearance rate showed significant abnormalities, the renal allografts in the experimental group had already presented pathologic changes associated with CAN. In the early stage after surgery, compared to the TIC curve of the control group, the experimental group showed increased rise time, mean transit time, area under the curve and time-to-peak, and decreased wash-in slope (p < 0.05). Chronic allograft damage index scores and the expression levels of α-SMA and Vimentin proteins in renal allografts were correlated with TIC parameters (p < 0.05). Compared to creatinine clearance rate, CEUS can detect CAN at earlier stages. The correlations between TIC-related parameters and the expression levels of α-SMA and Vimentin in renal allografts indicate that CEUS is a feasible way to assess the degree of renal allograft fibrosis quantitatively.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasonography, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zexing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zijian
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Beijing YouAn Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Wenrui
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xue
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaodong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. Electronic address: xiaopeng_hu@sina.com.
authors.forename: Xiaopeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D064591:Allografts; D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005355:Fibrosis; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007668:Kidney / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media
keywords: Allograft fibrosis; Chronic allograft nephropathy; Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography; Time-intensity curve