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Moran CM, McLeod C, Inglis S, Pye SD. An Assessment of the Imaging Performance of Hand-Held Ultrasound Scanners Using the Edinburgh Pipe Phantom. Ultrasound Med Biol 2024:S0301-5629(24)00174-1. [PMID: 38705784 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2024.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although hand-held ultrasound devices (HHUSDs) are currently used for a diverse range of diagnostic and interventional applications the imaging performance of such scanners is rarely considered. The aim of this study was to assess the imaging performance of a wide-range of HHUSDs and compare their imaging performance to cart-based systems utilized for the same clinical applications. METHODS The grayscale imaging performances of 19 HHUSDs from eight different manufacturers, manufactured between 2016 and 2021, were measured using a figure-of-merit known as the resolution integral. The imaging performance of the HHUSDs were compared to 142 cart-based ultrasound scanners. RESULTS The HHUSD with the overall highest resolution integral (66) was a Butterfly (Burlington, MA, USA) wired phased array for small parts applications, followed by a Philips (Bothell, WA, USA) Lumify wired curvilinear transducer (57) for abdominal applications, a Butterfly wired phased array (56) for abdominal applications, a GE (Freiburg, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) VScan Air wireless linear array (56) for small parts applications, and a Healcerion (Seoul, Korea) Sonon 300L wireless linear array (56) for small parts applications. A GE VScan Extend wired phased array had the highest resolution integral (44) for cardiac applications. CONCLUSIONS The Butterfly phased array had the highest resolution integral of all the 19 HHUSDs, although this value is still less than the majority of cart-based cardiac and abdominal ultrasound scanners manufactured from 2010 to 2017. Clinical users of HHUSDs should be mindful of the limitations in imaging performance of hand-held ultrasound devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmel M Moran
- University-BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK.
| | | | | | - Stephen D Pye
- University-BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
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2
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Walker SL, Noble J, Thomson A, Moran CM, Mellis D, Lee I, White LJ, Forbes S. Ultrasound-guided hepatic portal vein injection is not a reproducible technique for delivery of cell therapies to the liver in mice. Diabet Med 2023; 40:e15192. [PMID: 37531444 PMCID: PMC10947537 DOI: 10.1111/dme.15192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Our aim was to determine if ultrasound-guided HPV injection in mice would provide reproducible and reliable results, as is currently obtained via open laparotomy techniques, and offer a surgical refinement to emulate islet transplantation in humans. METHODS Fluorescent-polymer microparticles (20 μm) were injected (27G-needle) into the HPV via open laparotomy (n = 4) or under ultrasound-guidance (n = 4) using an MX550D-transducer with a Vevo3100-scanner (FUJIFILM VisualSonics, Inc.). Mice were culled 24-h post injection; organs were frozen, step sectioned (10 μm-slices) and 10 sections/mouse (50 μm-spacing) were quantified for microparticles in the liver and other organs by fluorescent microscopy. RESULTS Murine HPV injection, via open laparotomy-route, resulted in widespread distribution of microparticles in the liver, lungs and spleen; ultrasound-guided injection resulted in reduced microparticle delivery (p < 0.0001) and microparticle clustering in distinct areas of the liver at the site of needle penetration, with very few/no microparticles being seen in lung and spleen tissues, hypothesised to be due to flow into the body cavity: liver median (interquartile range) 4.15 (0.00-4.15) versus 0.00 (0.00-0.00) particle-count mm-2 , respectively. CONCLUSIONS Ultrasound-guided injection results in microparticle clustering in the liver, with an overall reduction in microparticle number when compared to open laparotomy HPV injection, and high variability in microparticle-counts detected between mice. Ultrasound-guided injection is not currently a technique that can replace open laparotomy HPV of islet transplantation in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie L. Walker
- BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queens Medical Research InstituteUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - June Noble
- BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queens Medical Research InstituteUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Adrian Thomson
- BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queens Medical Research InstituteUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Carmel M. Moran
- BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queens Medical Research InstituteUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - David Mellis
- BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queens Medical Research InstituteUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - I‐Ning Lee
- School of Pharmacy, Biodiscovery InstituteUniversity of Nottingham, University ParkNottinghamUK
| | - Lisa J. White
- School of Pharmacy, Biodiscovery InstituteUniversity of Nottingham, University ParkNottinghamUK
| | - Shareen Forbes
- BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queens Medical Research InstituteUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
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Wolfram F, Miller D, Demi L, Verma P, Moran CM, Walther M, Mathis G, Prosch H, Kollmann C, Jenderka KV. Best Practice Recommendations for the Safe use of Lung Ultrasound. Ultraschall Med 2023; 44:516-519. [PMID: 36377189 DOI: 10.1055/a-1978-5575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The safety of ultrasound is of particular importance when examining the lungs, due to specific bioeffects occurring at the alveolar air-tissue interface. Lung is significantly more sensitive than solid tissue to mechanical stress. The causal biological effects due to the total reflection of sound waves have also not been investigated comprehensively.On the other hand, the clinical benefit of lung ultrasound is outstanding. It has gained considerable importance during the pandemic, showing comparable diagnostic value with other radiological imaging modalities.Therefore, based on currently available literature, this work aims to determine possible effects caused by ultrasound on the lung parenchyma and evaluate existing recommendations for acoustic output power limits when performing lung sonography.This work recommends a stepwise approach to obtain clinically relevant images while ensuring lung ultrasound safety. A special focus was set on the safety of new ultrasound modalities, which had not yet been introduced at the time of previous recommendations.Finally, necessary research and training steps are recommended in order to close knowledge gaps in the field of lung ultrasound safety in the future.These recommendations for practice were prepared by ECMUS, the safety committee of the EFSUMB, with participation of international experts in the field of lung sonography and ultrasound bioeffects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Wolfram
- Clinic of Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, SRH Wald-Clinic Gera, Germany
| | - Douglas Miller
- Department of Radiology, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, United States
| | - Libertario Demi
- Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science, University of Trento Department of Information Engineering and Computer Science, Povo, Italy
| | - Prashant Verma
- Department of Medical Physics, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Carmel M Moran
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Marcel Walther
- Mindray Medical Imaging, MINDRAY Medical Germany GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Gebhard Mathis
- Gastroenterologie, Internistische Praxis, Rankweil, Austria
| | - Helmut Prosch
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Kollmann
- Center for Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering, Medical University Vienna, Austria
| | - Klaus-Vitold Jenderka
- Department of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Merseburg, Germany
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Tavares AAS, Mezzanotte L, McDougald W, Bernsen MR, Vanhove C, Aswendt M, Ielacqua GD, Gremse F, Moran CM, Warnock G, Kuntner C, Huisman MC. Community Survey Results Show that Standardisation of Preclinical Imaging Techniques Remains a Challenge. Mol Imaging Biol 2023; 25:560-568. [PMID: 36482032 PMCID: PMC10172263 DOI: 10.1007/s11307-022-01790-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To support acquisition of accurate, reproducible and high-quality preclinical imaging data, various standardisation resources have been developed over the years. However, it is unclear the impact of those efforts in current preclinical imaging practices. To better understand the status quo in the field of preclinical imaging standardisation, the STANDARD group of the European Society of Molecular Imaging (ESMI) put together a community survey and a forum for discussion at the European Molecular Imaging Meeting (EMIM) 2022. This paper reports on the results from the STANDARD survey and the forum discussions that took place at EMIM2022. PROCEDURES The survey was delivered to the community by the ESMI office and was promoted through the Society channels, email lists and webpages. The survey contained seven sections organised as generic questions and imaging modality-specific questions. The generic questions focused on issues regarding data acquisition, data processing, data storage, publishing and community awareness of international guidelines for animal research. Specific questions on practices in optical imaging, PET, CT, SPECT, MRI and ultrasound were further included. RESULTS Data from the STANDARD survey showed that 47% of survey participants do not have or do not know if they have QC/QA guidelines at their institutes. Additionally, a large variability exists in the ways data are acquired, processed and reported regarding general aspects as well as modality-specific aspects. Moreover, there is limited awareness of the existence of international guidelines on preclinical (imaging) research practices. CONCLUSIONS Standardisation of preclinical imaging techniques remains a challenge and hinders the transformative potential of preclinical imaging to augment biomedical research pipelines by serving as an easy vehicle for translation of research findings to the clinic. Data collected in this project show that there is a need to promote and disseminate already available tools to standardise preclinical imaging practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana A S Tavares
- BHF-University Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
- Edinburgh Imaging, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Laura Mezzanotte
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wendy McDougald
- BHF-University Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Siemens, Molecular Imaging, Hoffman Estates, IL, USA
| | - Monique R Bernsen
- AMIE Core Facility, Erasmus MC University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Vanhove
- Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Department of Electronics and Information Systems, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Markus Aswendt
- Faculty of Medicine, Dept. of Neurology, University of Cologne, and University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Giovanna D Ielacqua
- Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, in the Helmholtz Association, Berlin, Germany
| | - Felix Gremse
- Gremse-IT GmbH, Aachen, Germany
- Experimental Molecular Imaging, RWTH Aachen University Clinic, Aachen, Germany
| | - Carmel M Moran
- BHF-University Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Imaging, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Claudia Kuntner
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marc C Huisman
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Cancer Center Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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5
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Bernsen MR, McDougald W, Mezzanotte L, Moran CM, Tavares A, van der Weerd L. Editorial: Small animal imaging: Technological and methodological advances to improve the translational power. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:1099233. [PMID: 36579148 PMCID: PMC9791201 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.1099233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Monique R. Bernsen
- AMIE Core Facility, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands,*Correspondence: Monique R. Bernsen
| | - Wendy McDougald
- Siemens, Molecular Imaging, Hoffman Estates, IL, United States,BHF-University Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Mezzanotte
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Carmel M. Moran
- BHF-University Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom,Carmel M. Moran
| | - Adriana Tavares
- BHF-University Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Louise van der Weerd
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, Netherlands,Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, Netherlands
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Moran CM, Arthur C, Quaia E. A Comparison of the Sensitivity of Contrast-Specific Imaging Modes on Clinical and Preclinical Ultrasound Scanners. Tomography 2022; 8:2285-2297. [PMID: 36136887 PMCID: PMC9498646 DOI: 10.3390/tomography8050191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ultrasonic contrast agents are used routinely to aid clinical diagnosis. All premium- and mid-range scanners utilise contrast-specific imaging techniques to preferentially isolate and display the nonlinear signals generated from the microbubbles when insonated with a series of ultrasound pulses. In this manuscript the abilities of four premium ultrasound scanners to detect and display the ultrasound signal from two commercially available contrast agents—SonoVue and DEFINITY®—are compared. A flow phantom was built using tubes with internal diameters of 1.6 mm and 3.2 mm, suspended at depths of 1, 5 and 8 cm and embedded in tissue-mimicking material. Dilute solutions of SonoVue and DEFINITY® were pumped through the phantom at 0.25 mL/s and 1.5 mL/s. Four transducers were used to scan the tubes—a GE Logiq E9 (C2-9) curvilinear probe, a Philips iU22 L9-3 linear array probe, an Esaote MyLab Twice linear array LA523 (4–13 MHz) and a Fujifilm VisualSonics Vevo3100 MX250 (15–30 MHz) linear array probe. We defined a new parameter to compare the ability of the ultrasound scanners to display the contrast enhancement. This was defined as the ratio of grey-scale intensity ratio in contrast-specific imaging mode relative to the B-mode intensity from the same region-of-interest within the corresponding B-mode image. The study demonstrated that the flow rates used in this study had no effect on the contrast-specific imaging mode to B-mode (CSIM-BM) ratio for the three clinical scanners studied, with SonoVue demonstrating broadly similar CSIM-BM ratios across all 3 clinical scanners. DEFINITY® also displayed similar results to SonoVue except when insonated with the Esaote MyLab Twice LA523 transducer, where it demonstrated significantly higher CSIM-BM ratios at superficial depths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmel M. Moran
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Charles Arthur
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Emilio Quaia
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
- Department of Radiology, University of Padua, 35128 Padua, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-049-8212375
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Moran CM, Inglis S, McBride K, Mcleod C, Pye SD. The Imaging Performance of Diagnostic Ultrasound Scanners Using the Edinburgh Pipe Phantom to Measure the Resolution Integral - 15 Years of Experience. Ultraschall Med 2022; 43:393-402. [PMID: 32590848 DOI: 10.1055/a-1194-3818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The grayscale imaging performance of a total of 368 different scanner/transducer combinations from 39 scanner manufacturers measured over a period of 15 years is presented. Performance was measured using the resolution integral, a single figure-of-merit to quantify ultrasound imaging performance. The resolution integral was measured using the Edinburgh Pipe Phantom. Transducers included single element, linear, phased, curvilinear and multi-row arrays. Our results demonstrate that the resolution integral clearly differentiates between transducers with varying levels of performance. Two further parameters were also derived from the resolution integral: characteristic resolution and depth of field. We demonstrate that these two parameters can successfully characterize individual transducer performance and differentiate between transducers designed for different clinical and preclinical applications. In conclusion, the resolution integral is an effective metric to quantify and monitor grayscale imaging performance in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmel M Moran
- University-BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Edinburgh University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Scott Inglis
- Medical Physics, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Karne McBride
- Medical Physics, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Christopher Mcleod
- Medical Physics, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Stephen D Pye
- Medical Physics, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
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Sjostrand S, Bacou M, Thomson A, Kaczmarek K, Evertsson M, Svensson I, Farrington SM, Moug S, Jansson T, Moran CM, Mulvana H. Contrast enhanced magneto-motive ultrasound in lymph nodes - modelling and pre-clinical imaging using magnetic microbubbles. Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc 2022; 2022:194-197. [PMID: 36086230 DOI: 10.1109/embc48229.2022.9871876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Despite advances in MRI, the detection and characterisation of lymph nodes in rectal cancer remains complex, especially when assessing the response to neo-adjuvant treatment. An alternative approach is functional imaging, previously shown to aid characterization of cancer tissues. We report proof-of-concept of the novel technique Contrast-Enhanced Magneto-Motive Ultrasound (CE-MMUS) to recover information relating to local perfusion and lymphatic drainage, and interrogate tissue mechanical properties through magnetically induced tissue deformations. The feasibility of the proposed application was explored using a combination of pre-clinical ultrasound imaging and finite element analysis. First, contrast enhanced ultrasound imaging on one wild type mouse recorded lymphatic drainage of magnetic microbubbles after bolus injection. Second, preliminary CE-MMUS data were acquired as a proof of concept. Third, the magneto-mechanical interactions of a magnetic microbubble with an elastic solid were simulated using finite element software. Accumulation of magnetic microbubbles in the inguinal lymph node was verified using contrast enhanced ultrasound, with peak enhancement occurring 3.7 s post-injection. Preliminary CE-MMUS indicates the presence of magnetic contrast agent in the lymph node. The finite element analysis explores how the magnetic force is transferred to motion of the solid, which depends on elasticity and bubble radius, indicating an inverse relation with displacement. Combining magnetic microbubbles with MMUS could harness the advantages of both techniques, to provide perfusion information, robust lymph node delineation and characterisation based on mechanical properties. Clinical Relevance- Robust detection and characterisation of lymph nodes could be aided by visualising lymphatic drainage of magnetic microbubbles using contrast enhanced ultrasound imaging and magneto-motion, which is dependent on tissue mechanical properties.
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9
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Sjöstrand S, Bacou M, Kaczmarek K, Evertsson M, Svensson IK, Thomson AJW, Farrington SM, Moug SJ, Jansson T, Moran CM, Mulvana H. Modelling of magnetic microbubbles to evaluate contrast enhanced magnetomotive ultrasound in lymph nodes - a pre-clinical study. Br J Radiol 2022; 95:20211128. [PMID: 35522781 PMCID: PMC10996324 DOI: 10.1259/bjr.20211128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Despite advances in MRI the detection and characterisation of lymph nodes in rectal cancer remains complex, especially when assessing the response to neoadjuvant treatment. An alternative approach is functional imaging, previously shown to aid characterisation of cancer tissues. We report proof of concept of the novel technique Contrast-Enhanced Magneto-Motive Ultrasound (CE-MMUS) to recover information relating to local perfusion and lymphatic drainage, and interrogate tissue mechanical properties through magnetically induced deformations. METHODS The feasibility of the proposed application was explored using a combination of experimental animal and phantom ultrasound imaging, along with finite element analysis. First, contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging on one wild type mouse recorded lymphatic drainage of magnetic microbubbles after bolus injection. Second, tissue phantoms were imaged using MMUS to illustrate the force- and elasticity dependence of the magnetomotion. Third, the magnetomechanical interactions of a magnetic microbubble with an elastic solid were simulated using finite element software. RESULTS Accumulation of magnetic microbubbles in the inguinal lymph node was verified using contrast enhanced ultrasound, with peak enhancement occurring 3.7 s post-injection. The magnetic microbubble gave rise to displacements depending on force, elasticity, and bubble radius, indicating an inverse relation between displacement and the latter two. CONCLUSION Combining magnetic microbubbles with MMUS could harness the advantages of both techniques, to provide perfusion information, robust lymph node delineation and characterisation based on mechanical properties. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE (a) Lymphatic drainage of magnetic microbubbles visualised using contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging and (b) magnetomechanical interactions between such bubbles and surrounding tissue could both contribute to (c) robust detection and characterisation of lymph nodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Sjöstrand
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering,
Lund University, Lund,
Sweden
| | - Marion Bacou
- Colorectal Cancer Genetics Group, Cancer Research UK Edinburgh
Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of
Edinburgh, Edinburgh,
United Kingdom
| | - Katarzyna Kaczmarek
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering,
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow,
United Kingdom
| | - Maria Evertsson
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund
University, Lund,
Sweden
| | - Ingrid K Svensson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering,
Lund University, Lund,
Sweden
| | - Adrian JW Thomson
- Edinburgh Preclinical Imaging, Centre for Cardiovascular
Science, University of Edinburgh,
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Susan M Farrington
- Colorectal Cancer Genetics Group, Cancer Research UK Edinburgh
Centre, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of
Edinburgh, Edinburgh,
United Kingdom
| | - Susan J Moug
- Consultant General and Colorectal Surgeon, Royal Alexandra
Hospital, Paisley and Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Honorary
Professor, University of Glasgow,
Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Tomas Jansson
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund
University, Lund, Sweden and Clinical
Engineering Skåne, Digitalisering IT/MT, Skåne Regional
Council, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Helen Mulvana
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering,
University of Strathclyde, Glasgow,
United Kingdom
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Teenan O, Sahni V, Henderson RB, Conway BR, Moran CM, Hughes J, Denby L. Sonoporation of Human Renal Proximal Tubular Epithelial Cells In Vitro to Enhance the Liberation of Intracellular miRNA Biomarkers. Ultrasound Med Biol 2022; 48:1019-1032. [PMID: 35307235 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2022.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Ultrasound has previously been demonstrated to non-invasively cause tissue disruption. Small animal studies have demonstrated that this effect can be enhanced by contrast microbubbles and has the potential to be clinically beneficial in techniques such as targeted drug delivery or enhancing liquid biopsies when a physical biopsy may be inappropriate. Cavitating microbubbles in close proximity to cells increases membrane permeability, allowing small intracellular molecules to leak into the extracellular space. This study sought to establish whether cavitating microbubbles could liberate cell-specific miRNAs, augmenting biomarker detection for non-invasive liquid biopsies. Insonating human polarized renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (RPTECs), in the presence of SonoVue microbubbles, revealed that cellular health could be maintained while achieving the release of miRNAs, miR-21, miR-30e, miR-192 and miR-194 (respectively, 10.9-fold, 7.17-fold, 5.95-fold and 5.36-fold). To examine the mechanism of release, RPTECs expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein were generated and the protein successfully liberated. Cell polarization, cellular phenotype and cell viability after sonoporation were measured by a number of techniques. Ultrastructural studies using electron microscopy showed gap-junction disruption and pore formation on cellular surfaces. These studies revealed that cell-specific miRNAs can be non-specifically liberated from RPTECs by sonoporation without a significant decrease in cell viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Teenan
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Vishal Sahni
- GlaxoSmithKline, Medical Research Centre, Stevenage, UK
| | | | - Bryan R Conway
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Carmel M Moran
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jeremy Hughes
- Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Queens Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Laura Denby
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK.
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Sande R, Jenderka KV, Moran CM, Marques S, Jimenez Diaz JF, Ter Haar G, Marsal K, Lees C, Abramowicz JS, Salvesen KÅ, Miloro P, Dall'Asta A, Brezinka C, Kollmann C. Safety Aspects of Perinatal Ultrasound. Ultraschall Med 2021; 42:580-598. [PMID: 34352910 DOI: 10.1055/a-1538-6295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Ultrasound safety is of particular importance in fetal and neonatal scanning. Fetal tissues are vulnerable and often still developing, the scanning depth may be low, and potential biological effects have been insufficiently investigated. On the other hand, the clinical benefit may be considerable. The perinatal period is probably less vulnerable than the first and second trimesters of pregnancy, and ultrasound is often a safer alternative to other diagnostic imaging modalities. Here we present step-by-step procedures for obtaining clinically relevant images while maintaining ultrasound safety. We briefly discuss the current status of the field of ultrasound safety, with special attention to the safety of novel modalities, safety considerations when ultrasound is employed for research and education, and ultrasound of particularly vulnerable tissues, such as the neonatal lung. This CME is prepared by ECMUS, the safety committee of EFSUMB, with contributions from OB/GYN clinicians with a special interest in ultrasound safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ragnar Sande
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
- Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Norway
| | | | - Carmel M Moran
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Edinburgh University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Susana Marques
- Department of Gastroenterology and Digestive Endoscopy, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - J F Jimenez Diaz
- Sport Sciences Faculty, Castilla La Mancha University Education Faculty of Toledo, Spain
- Sport Medicine Department, UCAM, Murcia, Spain
| | - Gail Ter Haar
- Physics, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Karel Marsal
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Christoph Lees
- Center for Fetal Care, Queen Charlotte's and Chelsea Hospital, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Jacques S Abramowicz
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Chicago Medical Center, CHICAGO, United States
- Safety Committee, World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology, Chicago, United States
| | - Kjell Åsmund Salvesen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Piero Miloro
- Ultrasound and Underwater Acoustics, National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Andrea Dall'Asta
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynecology Unit, Universita degli Studi di Parma, Italy
| | - Christoph Brezinka
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University Innsbruck Department of Gynecology, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Christian Kollmann
- Center for Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering, Medical University Vienna, Austria
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12
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Al-Mutairi FF, Chung EM, Moran CM, Ramnarine KV. A Novel Elastography Phantom Prototype for Assessment of Ultrasound Elastography Imaging Performance. Ultrasound Med Biol 2021; 47:2749-2758. [PMID: 34144833 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2021.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 05/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The aims of this study were firstly to manufacture and evaluate a novel elastography test phantom and secondly to assess the performance of an elastography system using this phantom. A novel Leicester-St. Thomas' Elastography Pipe (L-STEP) test phantom consisting of five soft polyvinyl acrylic-cryogel pipes of varying diameters (2-12 mm), embedded at 45° within an agar-based tissue-mimicking material was developed. A shear-wave elastography (SWE) scanner was used by two blinded operators to image and assess longitudinal sections of the pipes. Young's modulus estimates were dependent on the diameter of pipes and at superficial depths were greater than deeper depths (mean 98 kPa vs. 59 kPa) and had lower coefficients of variation (mean 21% vs. 53%). The penetration depth (maximum depth at which a SWE signal was obtained) increased with increasing pipe diameter. Penetration depth measurements had excellent inter- and intra-operator reproducibility (intra-class correlation coefficients >0.8) and coefficient of variation range of 2%-12%. A new metric, called the summative performance index, was defined as the sum of the ratios of the penetration depth/pipe diameter. The L-STEP phantom is suitable for assessing key aspects of elastography imaging performance: resolution, accuracy, reproducibility, depth dependence, sensitivity and our novel summative performance index.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahad F Al-Mutairi
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University (KAU), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Emma Ml Chung
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, Glenfield Hospital, Leicester, United Kingdom; Department of Medical Physics, University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Carmel M Moran
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Kumar V Ramnarine
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom; Medical Physics Department, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.
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13
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Kuhn J, Papanastasiou G, Tai CW, Moran CM, Jansen MA, Tavares AA, Lennen RJ, Corral CA, Wang C, Thomson AJ, Berry CC, Yiu HH. Tri-modal imaging of gold-dotted magnetic nanoparticles for magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography and intravascular ultrasound: an in vitro study. Nanomedicine (Lond) 2020; 15:2433-2445. [PMID: 32914695 DOI: 10.2217/nnm-2020-0236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: To examine the multimodal contrasting ability of gold-dotted magnetic nanoparticles (Au*MNPs) for magnetic resonance (MR), computed tomography (CT) and intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging. Materials & methods: Au*MNPs were prepared by adapting an impregnation method, without using surface capping reagents and characterized (transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) with their in vitro cytotoxicity assessed, followed by imaging assessments. Results: The contrast-enhancing ability of Au*MNPs was shown to be concentration-dependent across MR, CT and IVUS imaging. The Au content of the Au*MNP led to evident increases of the IVUS signal. Conclusion: We demonstrated that Au*MNPs showed concentration-dependent contrast-enhancing ability in MRI and CT imaging, and for the first-time in IVUS imaging due to the Au content. These Au*MNPs are promising toward solidifying tri-modal imaging-based theragnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Kuhn
- Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK
| | - Giorgos Papanastasiou
- School of Computer Science & Electronic Engineering, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK.,Edinburgh Imaging, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, U.K
| | - Cheuk-Wai Tai
- Department of Materials & Environmental Chemistry, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, Stockholm, SE-106 91, Sweden
| | - Carmel M Moran
- Edinburgh Imaging, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, U.K.,Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Maurits A Jansen
- Edinburgh Imaging, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, U.K.,Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Adriana As Tavares
- Edinburgh Imaging, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, U.K.,Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Ross J Lennen
- Edinburgh Imaging, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, U.K.,Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Carlos Alcaide Corral
- Edinburgh Imaging, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, U.K.,Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Chengjia Wang
- Edinburgh Imaging, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, U.K
| | - Adrian Jw Thomson
- Edinburgh Imaging, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, U.K.,Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Catherine C Berry
- Centre for Cell Engineering, IMCSB, Joseph Black Building, University Avenue, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Humphrey Hp Yiu
- Chemical Engineering, School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK
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14
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Kollmann C, Jenderka KV, Moran CM, Draghi F, Jimenez Diaz JF, Sande R. EFSUMB Clinical Safety Statement for Diagnostic Ultrasound - (2019 revision). Ultraschall Med 2020; 41:387-389. [PMID: 31594007 DOI: 10.1055/a-1010-6018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This document is the updated 2019 revision of the EFSUMB Clinically Safety Statement. A Safety Statement has been published by EFSUMB annually since 1994 by the Safety Committee (ECMUS) of the federation. The text is deliberately brief and gives a concise overview of safety in the use of diagnostic ultrasound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Kollmann
- Center for Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering, Medical University Vienna, Austria
| | - Klaus-Vitold Jenderka
- Department of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Applied Sciences, Merseburg, Germany
| | - Carmel M Moran
- University-BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Edinburgh-University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Ferdinando Draghi
- Institute of Radiology, University of Pavia, IRCCS-Foundation, San Matteo Medical Center, Pavia, Italy
| | - J F Jimenez Diaz
- Castilla La Mancha University Education Faculty of Toledo - Sport Sciences Faculty Toledo, Castilla La Mancha, Spain
- UCAM - Sport Medicine Department Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Ragnar Sande
- Stavanger University Hospital - Department of obstetrics and gynecology, Stavanger, Norway
- University of Bergen - Department of clinical science, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
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15
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Jones NK, Stewart K, Czopek A, Menzies RI, Thomson A, Moran CM, Cairns C, Conway BR, Denby L, Livingstone DEW, Wiseman J, Hadoke PW, Webb DJ, Dhaun N, Dear JW, Mullins JJ, Bailey MA. Endothelin-1 Mediates the Systemic and Renal Hemodynamic Effects of GPR81 Activation. Hypertension 2020; 75:1213-1222. [PMID: 32200679 PMCID: PMC7176350 DOI: 10.1161/hypertensionaha.119.14308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. GPR81 (G-protein-coupled receptor 81) is highly expressed in adipocytes, and activation by the endogenous ligand lactate inhibits lipolysis. GPR81 is also expressed in the heart, liver, and kidney, but roles in nonadipose tissues are poorly defined. GPR81 agonists, developed to improve blood lipid profile, might also provide insights into GPR81 physiology. Here, we assessed the blood pressure and renal hemodynamic responses to the GPR81 agonist, AZ′5538. In male wild-type mice, intravenous AZ′5538 infusion caused a rapid and sustained increase in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Renal artery blood flow, intrarenal tissue perfusion, and glomerular filtration rate were all significantly reduced. AZ′5538 had no effect on blood pressure or renal hemodynamics in Gpr81−/− mice. Gpr81 mRNA was expressed in renal artery vascular smooth muscle, in the afferent arteriole, in glomerular and medullary perivascular cells, and in pericyte-like cells isolated from kidney. Intravenous AZ′5538 increased plasma ET-1 (endothelin 1), and pretreatment with BQ123 (endothelin-A receptor antagonist) prevented the pressor effects of GPR81 activation, whereas BQ788 (endothelin-B receptor antagonist) did not. Renal ischemia-reperfusion injury, which increases renal extracellular lactate, increased the renal expression of genes encoding ET-1, KIM-1 (Kidney Injury Molecule 1), collagen type 1-α1, TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-α), and F4/80 in wild-type mice but not in Gpr81−/− mice. In summary, activation of GPR81 in vascular smooth muscle and perivascular cells regulates renal hemodynamics, mediated by release of the potent vasoconstrictor ET-1. This suggests that lactate may be a paracrine regulator of renal blood flow, particularly relevant when extracellular lactate is high as occurs during ischemic renal disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie K Jones
- From the University/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (N.K.J., K.S., A.C., R.I.M., A.T., C.M.M., C.C., B.R.C., L.D., D.E.W.L., P.W.H., D.J.W., N.D., J.W.D., J.J.M., M.A.B.)
| | - Kevin Stewart
- From the University/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (N.K.J., K.S., A.C., R.I.M., A.T., C.M.M., C.C., B.R.C., L.D., D.E.W.L., P.W.H., D.J.W., N.D., J.W.D., J.J.M., M.A.B.)
| | - Alicja Czopek
- From the University/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (N.K.J., K.S., A.C., R.I.M., A.T., C.M.M., C.C., B.R.C., L.D., D.E.W.L., P.W.H., D.J.W., N.D., J.W.D., J.J.M., M.A.B.)
| | - Robert I Menzies
- From the University/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (N.K.J., K.S., A.C., R.I.M., A.T., C.M.M., C.C., B.R.C., L.D., D.E.W.L., P.W.H., D.J.W., N.D., J.W.D., J.J.M., M.A.B.)
| | - Adrian Thomson
- From the University/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (N.K.J., K.S., A.C., R.I.M., A.T., C.M.M., C.C., B.R.C., L.D., D.E.W.L., P.W.H., D.J.W., N.D., J.W.D., J.J.M., M.A.B.)
| | - Carmel M Moran
- From the University/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (N.K.J., K.S., A.C., R.I.M., A.T., C.M.M., C.C., B.R.C., L.D., D.E.W.L., P.W.H., D.J.W., N.D., J.W.D., J.J.M., M.A.B.)
| | - Carolynn Cairns
- From the University/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (N.K.J., K.S., A.C., R.I.M., A.T., C.M.M., C.C., B.R.C., L.D., D.E.W.L., P.W.H., D.J.W., N.D., J.W.D., J.J.M., M.A.B.)
| | - Bryan R Conway
- From the University/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (N.K.J., K.S., A.C., R.I.M., A.T., C.M.M., C.C., B.R.C., L.D., D.E.W.L., P.W.H., D.J.W., N.D., J.W.D., J.J.M., M.A.B.)
| | - Laura Denby
- From the University/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (N.K.J., K.S., A.C., R.I.M., A.T., C.M.M., C.C., B.R.C., L.D., D.E.W.L., P.W.H., D.J.W., N.D., J.W.D., J.J.M., M.A.B.)
| | - Dawn E W Livingstone
- From the University/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (N.K.J., K.S., A.C., R.I.M., A.T., C.M.M., C.C., B.R.C., L.D., D.E.W.L., P.W.H., D.J.W., N.D., J.W.D., J.J.M., M.A.B.)
| | - John Wiseman
- Discovery Sciences, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca R&D Gothenburg, Sweden (J.W.)
| | - Patrick W Hadoke
- From the University/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (N.K.J., K.S., A.C., R.I.M., A.T., C.M.M., C.C., B.R.C., L.D., D.E.W.L., P.W.H., D.J.W., N.D., J.W.D., J.J.M., M.A.B.)
| | - David J Webb
- From the University/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (N.K.J., K.S., A.C., R.I.M., A.T., C.M.M., C.C., B.R.C., L.D., D.E.W.L., P.W.H., D.J.W., N.D., J.W.D., J.J.M., M.A.B.)
| | - Neeraj Dhaun
- From the University/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (N.K.J., K.S., A.C., R.I.M., A.T., C.M.M., C.C., B.R.C., L.D., D.E.W.L., P.W.H., D.J.W., N.D., J.W.D., J.J.M., M.A.B.)
| | - James W Dear
- From the University/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (N.K.J., K.S., A.C., R.I.M., A.T., C.M.M., C.C., B.R.C., L.D., D.E.W.L., P.W.H., D.J.W., N.D., J.W.D., J.J.M., M.A.B.)
| | - John J Mullins
- From the University/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (N.K.J., K.S., A.C., R.I.M., A.T., C.M.M., C.C., B.R.C., L.D., D.E.W.L., P.W.H., D.J.W., N.D., J.W.D., J.J.M., M.A.B.)
| | - Matthew A Bailey
- From the University/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom (N.K.J., K.S., A.C., R.I.M., A.T., C.M.M., C.C., B.R.C., L.D., D.E.W.L., P.W.H., D.J.W., N.D., J.W.D., J.J.M., M.A.B.)
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16
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Castellan RFP, Thomson A, Moran CM, Gray GA. Electrocardiogram-gated Kilohertz Visualisation (EKV) Ultrasound Allows Assessment of Neonatal Cardiac Structural and Functional Maturation and Longitudinal Evaluation of Regeneration After Injury. Ultrasound Med Biol 2020; 46:167-179. [PMID: 31699549 PMCID: PMC6900752 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2019.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The small size and high heart rate of the neonatal mouse heart makes structural and functional characterisation particularly challenging. Here, we describe application of electrocardiogram-gated kilohertz visualisation (EKV) ultrasound imaging with high spatio-temporal resolution to non-invasively characterise the post-natal mouse heart during normal growth and regeneration after injury. The 2-D images of the left ventricle (LV) acquired across the cardiac cycle from post-natal day 1 (P1) to P42 revealed significant changes in LV mass from P8 that coincided with a switch from hyperplastic to hypertrophic growth and correlated with ex vivo LV weight. Remodelling of the LV was indicated between P8 and P21 when LV mass and cardiomyocyte size increased with no accompanying change in LV wall thickness. Whereas Doppler imaging showed the expected switch from LV filling driven by atrial contraction to filling by LV relaxation during post-natal week 1, systolic function was retained at the same level from P1 to P42. EKV ultrasound imaging also revealed loss of systolic function after induction of myocardial infarction at P1 and regain of function associated with regeneration of the myocardium by P21. EKV ultrasound imaging thus offers a rapid and convenient method for routine non-invasive characterisation of the neonatal mouse heart.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael F P Castellan
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Adrian Thomson
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Edinburgh Imaging, Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Carmel M Moran
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Edinburgh Imaging, Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gillian A Gray
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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17
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Browne JE, King D, Fagan AJ, Chari D, Moran CM. An investigation of the detection capability of pulsed wave duplex Doppler of low grade stenosis using ultrasound contrast agent microbubbles - An in-vitro study. Ultrasonics 2019; 96:48-54. [PMID: 31004864 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2019.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Revised: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to investigate whether clinically used ultrasonic contrast agents improved the accuracy of spectral Doppler ultrasound in the detection of low grade (<50%) renal artery stenosis. Low grade stenoses in the renal artery are notoriously difficult to reliably detect using Doppler ultrasound due to difficulties such as overlying fat and bowel gas. METHODS A range of anatomically-realistic renal artery phantoms with varying low degrees of stenosis (0, 30 and 50%) were constructed and peak velocity data was measured from within the pre-stenotic and mid-stenotic regions in each phantom, for both unenhanced and contrast-enhanced spectral Doppler data acquisitions. The effect of a 20 mm overlying fat layer on the ultrasound beam distortion and phase aberration, and hence on the measured peak velocity data, was also investigated. RESULTS The overlying fat layer produced a statistically significant underestimation (p < 0.01) in both the peak velocity and peak velocity ratio [Stenotic Region(Vmax)/Pre-stenotic Region(Vmax)] for the 0% and 30% stenosis models, but not the 50% model. A statistically significant increase (p < 0.01) in the peak velocity was found in the contrast-enhanced Doppler spectra; however, no significant difference was found between the unenhanced and contrast enhanced peak velocity ratio data, which suggests that the ratio metric has better diagnostic accuracy. The peak velocity ratios determined for each of the contrast-enhanced phantoms correctly predicted if the phantom had a stenosis and furthermore correctly classified the degree of stenosis. CONCLUSION Contrast-enhanced Doppler ultrasound could significantly assist in the early detection of renal artery disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacinta E Browne
- Medical Ultrasound Physics and Technology Group, School of Physics & FOCAS, Technical University Dublin - Kevin Street Campus, Dublin 6, Ireland; Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, 55901 MN, USA.
| | - Deirdre King
- Medical Physics, Blackrock Clinic, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Andrew J Fagan
- Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, 55901 MN, USA
| | - Deepa Chari
- Medical Ultrasound Physics and Technology Group, School of Physics & FOCAS, Technical University Dublin - Kevin Street Campus, Dublin 6, Ireland
| | - Carmel M Moran
- Medical Physics, Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
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18
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Agnew EJ, Garcia-Burgos A, Richardson RV, Manos H, Thomson AJW, Sooy K, Just G, Homer NZM, Moran CM, Brunton PJ, Gray GA, Chapman KE. Antenatal dexamethasone treatment transiently alters diastolic function in the mouse fetal heart. J Endocrinol 2019; 241:279-292. [PMID: 31013474 PMCID: PMC6541236 DOI: 10.1530/joe-18-0666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Endogenous glucocorticoid action is important in the structural and functional maturation of the fetal heart. In fetal mice, although glucocorticoid concentrations are extremely low before E14.5, glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is expressed in the heart from E10.5. To investigate whether activation of cardiac GR prior to E14.5 induces precocious fetal heart maturation, we administered dexamethasone in the drinking water of pregnant dams from E12.5 to E15.5. To test the direct effects of glucocorticoids upon the cardiovascular system we used SMGRKO mice, with Sm22-Cre-mediated disruption of GR in cardiomyocytes and vascular smooth muscle. Contrary to expectations, echocardiography showed no advancement of functional maturation of the fetal heart. Moreover, litter size was decreased 2 days following cessation of antenatal glucocorticoid exposure, irrespective of fetal genotype. The myocardial performance index and E/A wave ratio, markers of fetal heart maturation, were not significantly affected by dexamethasone treatment in either genotype. Dexamethasone treatment transiently decreased the myocardial deceleration index (MDI; a marker of diastolic function), in control fetuses at E15.5, with recovery by E17.5, 2 days after cessation of treatment. MDI was lower in SMGRKO than in control fetuses and was unaffected by dexamethasone. The transient decrease in MDI was associated with repression of cardiac GR in control fetuses following dexamethasone treatment. Measurement of glucocorticoid levels in fetal tissue and hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone (Crh) mRNA levels suggest complex and differential effects of dexamethasone treatment upon the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis between genotypes. These data suggest potentially detrimental and direct effects of antenatal glucocorticoid treatment upon fetal heart function.
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Affiliation(s)
- E J Agnew
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - A Garcia-Burgos
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - R V Richardson
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - H Manos
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - A J W Thomson
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - K Sooy
- Mass Spectrometry Core, Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility, Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - G Just
- Mass Spectrometry Core, Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility, Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - N Z M Homer
- Mass Spectrometry Core, Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility, Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - C M Moran
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - P J Brunton
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Hugh Robson Building, George Square, Edinburgh, UK
| | - G A Gray
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - K E Chapman
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, The Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
- Correspondence should be addressed to K E Chapman:
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19
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McLeod C, Moran CM, McBride KA, Pye SD. Evaluation of Intravascular Ultrasound Catheter-Based Transducers Using the Resolution Integral. Ultrasound Med Biol 2018; 44:2802-2812. [PMID: 30146091 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2018.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2018] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) catheters are a specialist imaging modality used in the assessment of cardiovascular disease. The ultrasound transducer may either be of single-element mechanical or phased-array design. Because of their design and operating frequencies (10-45 MHz), evaluation of the imaging performance is not possible with commercially available ultrasound test objects. An existing test object, the Edinburgh Pipe Phantom, was modified to allow measurement of resolution integral (R), depth of field (Lr) and characteristic resolution (Dr) of IVUS catheters. In total, seven IVUS catheters, from two manufacturers and of both single-element mechanical and phased-array design, were tested to provide a measure of performance over different frequencies and technologies. Measurements of R for the tested IVUS catheters ranged from 11.9 to 18.8. The modified Edinburgh Pipe Phantom therefore allows catheter-based ultrasound probes to be evaluated scientifically and their performance to be seen in relation to other similar ultrasound technologies such as pre-clinical ultrasound and endoscopic ultrasound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher McLeod
- Medical Physics, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| | - Carmel M Moran
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Karne A McBride
- Medical Physics, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen D Pye
- Medical Physics, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Rabell-Montiel A, Anderson T, Pye SD, Moran CM. Attenuation Coefficients of the Individual Components of the International Electrotechnical Commission Agar Tissue-Mimicking Material. Ultrasound Med Biol 2018; 44:2371-2378. [PMID: 30076033 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2018.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Tissue-mimicking materials (TMMs) are widely used in quality assurance (QA) phantoms to assess the performance of ultrasound scanners. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) defines the acoustic parameters of up to 10MHz. To manufacture a TMM that closely mimics the acoustical properties of small animal soft tissue at high frequencies, the acoustic properties of each of the individual component ingredients used in the IEC agar-TMM recipe need to be quantified. This study was aimed at evaluating whether the overall attenuation coefficient of the IEC agar-TMM is the linear sum of the attenuation coefficients of each of its ingredients. Eight batches of agar-based materials were manufactured with different combinations of ingredients from the IEC agar-TMM recipe. The percentage concentration of each ingredient used in the individual mixes was identical to that specified in the IEC recipe. The attenuation of each of these batches was measured over the ultrasound frequency range 12-50MHz, and the attenuation value of the agar component was subtracted from the attenuation values of the other batches. Batch attenuation values, representing the attenuation of individual components within the IEC agar-TMM, were then summated and yielded attenuation values that accurately reproduced the attenuation of the IEC agar-TMM. This information forms a valuable resource for the future development of TMMs with acoustic properties similar to those of soft tissue at high frequencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adela Rabell-Montiel
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| | - Tom Anderson
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Steve D Pye
- Medical Physics, NHS Lothian, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Carmel M Moran
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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21
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Rabell-Montiel A, Thomson AJ, Anderson TA, Pye SD, Moran CM. Acoustic Properties of Small Animal Soft Tissue in the Frequency Range 12-32 MHz. Ultrasound Med Biol 2018; 44:702-713. [PMID: 29277451 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2017.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Revised: 10/16/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Quality assurance phantoms are made of tissue-mimicking materials (TMMs) the acoustic properties of which mimic those of soft tissue. However, the acoustic properties of many soft tissue types have not been measured at ultrasonic frequencies >9 MHz. With the increasing use of high-frequency ultrasound for both clinical and pre-clinical applications, it is of increasing interest to ensure that TMMs accurately reflect the acoustic properties of soft tissue at these higher frequencies. In this study, the acoustic properties of ex vivo brain, liver and kidney samples from 50 mice were assessed in the frequency range 12-32 MHz. Measurements were performed within 6 min of euthanasia in a phosphate-buffered saline solution maintained at 37.2 ± 0.2 °C. The measured mean values for the speed of sound for all organs were found to be higher than the International Electrotechnical Commission guideline recommended value for TMMs. The attenuation coefficients measured for brain, liver and kidney samples were compared with the results of previous studies at lower frequencies. Only the measured kidney attenuation coefficient was found to be in good agreement with the International Electrotechnical Commission guideline. The information provided in this study can be used as a baseline on which to manufacture a TMM suitable for high-frequency applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adela Rabell-Montiel
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| | - Adrian J Thomson
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Tom A Anderson
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen D Pye
- Medical Physics, NHS Lothian, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Carmel M Moran
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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22
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Rabell Montiel A, Browne JE, Pye SD, Anderson TA, Moran CM. Broadband Acoustic Measurement of an Agar-Based Tissue-Mimicking-Material: A Longitudinal Study. Ultrasound Med Biol 2017; 43:1494-1505. [PMID: 28450032 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2017.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Revised: 02/27/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Commercially available ultrasound quality assurance test phantoms rely on the long-term acoustic stability of the tissue-mimicking-material (TMM). Measurement of the acoustic properties of the TMM can be technically challenging, and it is important to ensure its stability. The standard technique is to film-wrap samples of TMM and to measure the acoustic properties in a water bath. In this study, a modified technique was proposed whereby the samples of TMM are measured in a preserving fluid that is intended to maintain their characteristics. The acoustic properties were evaluated using a broadband pulse-echo substitution technique over the frequency range 4.5-50 MHz at 0, 6 and 12 months using both techniques. For both techniques, the measured mean values for the speed of sound and attenuation were very similar and within the International Electrotechnical Commission-recommended value. However, the results obtained using the proposed modified technique exhibited greater stability over the 1-y period compared with the results acquired using the standard technique.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacinta E Browne
- School of Physics & IEO, FOCAS, Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Stephen D Pye
- Medical Physics, NHS Lothian, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tom A Anderson
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Carmel M Moran
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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23
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Richardson RV, Batchen EJ, Thomson AJW, Darroch R, Pan X, Rog-Zielinska EA, Wyrzykowska W, Scullion K, Al-Dujaili EAS, Diaz ME, Moran CM, Kenyon CJ, Gray GA, Chapman KE. Glucocorticoid receptor alters isovolumetric contraction and restrains cardiac fibrosis. J Endocrinol 2017; 232:437-450. [PMID: 28057868 PMCID: PMC5292999 DOI: 10.1530/joe-16-0458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Corticosteroids directly affect the heart and vasculature and are implicated in the pathogenesis of heart failure. Attention is focussed upon the role of the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) in mediating pro-fibrotic and other adverse effects of corticosteroids upon the heart. In contrast, the role of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in the heart and vasculature is less well understood. We addressed this in mice with cardiomyocyte and vascular smooth muscle deletion of GR (SMGRKO mice). Survival of SMGRKO mice to weaning was reduced compared with that of littermate controls. Doppler measurements of blood flow across the mitral valve showed an elongated isovolumetric contraction time in surviving adult SMGRKO mice, indicating impairment of the initial left ventricular contractile phase. Although heart weight was elevated in both genders, only male SMGRKO mice showed evidence of pathological cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, associated with increased myosin heavy chain-β expression. Left ventricular fibrosis, evident in both genders, was associated with elevated levels of mRNA encoding MR as well as proteins involved in cardiac remodelling and fibrosis. However, MR antagonism with spironolactone from birth only modestly attenuated the increase in pro-fibrotic gene expression in SMGRKO mice, suggesting that elevated MR signalling is not the primary driver of cardiac fibrosis in SMGRKO mice, and cardiac fibrosis can be dissociated from MR activation. Thus, GR contributes to systolic function and restrains normal cardiac growth, the latter through gender-specific mechanisms. Our findings suggest the GR:MR balance is critical in corticosteroid signalling in specific cardiac cell types.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Corticosterone/blood
- Female
- Fibrosis/metabolism
- Fibrosis/pathology
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Knockout
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/drug effects
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/metabolism
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/pathology
- Myocardial Contraction/genetics
- Myocardium/metabolism
- Myocardium/pathology
- Myocytes, Cardiac/drug effects
- Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism
- Myocytes, Cardiac/pathology
- Myosin Heavy Chains/genetics
- Myosin Heavy Chains/metabolism
- Nonmuscle Myosin Type IIB/genetics
- Nonmuscle Myosin Type IIB/metabolism
- Receptors, Glucocorticoid/genetics
- Receptors, Glucocorticoid/metabolism
- Sex Factors
- Spironolactone/pharmacology
- Ventricular Function, Left/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel V Richardson
- University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Emma J Batchen
- University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Rowan Darroch
- University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Xinlu Pan
- University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Eva A Rog-Zielinska
- University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Wiktoria Wyrzykowska
- University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Kathleen Scullion
- University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Emad A S Al-Dujaili
- DieteticsNutrition, and Biological Sciences Department, Queen Margaret University, Musselburgh, UK
| | - Mary E Diaz
- University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Carmel M Moran
- University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
- Edinburgh Preclinical ImagingUniversity of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Christopher J Kenyon
- University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Gillian A Gray
- University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Karen E Chapman
- University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular ScienceUniversity of Edinburgh, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, UK
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Snowdon VK, Lachlan NJ, Hoy AM, Hadoke PWF, Semple SI, Patel D, Mungall W, Kendall TJ, Thomson A, Lennen RJ, Jansen MA, Moran CM, Pellicoro A, Ramachandran P, Shaw I, Aucott RL, Severin T, Saini R, Pak J, Yates D, Dongre N, Duffield JS, Webb DJ, Iredale JP, Hayes PC, Fallowfield JA. Serelaxin as a potential treatment for renal dysfunction in cirrhosis: Preclinical evaluation and results of a randomized phase 2 trial. PLoS Med 2017; 14:e1002248. [PMID: 28245243 PMCID: PMC5330452 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic liver scarring from any cause leads to cirrhosis, portal hypertension, and a progressive decline in renal blood flow and renal function. Extreme renal vasoconstriction characterizes hepatorenal syndrome, a functional and potentially reversible form of acute kidney injury in patients with advanced cirrhosis, but current therapy with systemic vasoconstrictors is ineffective in a substantial proportion of patients and is limited by ischemic adverse events. Serelaxin (recombinant human relaxin-2) is a peptide molecule with anti-fibrotic and vasoprotective properties that binds to relaxin family peptide receptor-1 (RXFP1) and has been shown to increase renal perfusion in healthy human volunteers. We hypothesized that serelaxin could ameliorate renal vasoconstriction and renal dysfunction in patients with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. METHODS AND FINDINGS To establish preclinical proof of concept, we developed two independent rat models of cirrhosis that were characterized by progressive reduction in renal blood flow and glomerular filtration rate and showed evidence of renal endothelial dysfunction. We then set out to further explore and validate our hypothesis in a phase 2 randomized open-label parallel-group study in male and female patients with alcohol-related cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Forty patients were randomized 1:1 to treatment with serelaxin intravenous (i.v.) infusion (for 60 min at 80 μg/kg/d and then 60 min at 30 μg/kg/d) or terlipressin (single 2-mg i.v. bolus), and the regional hemodynamic effects were quantified by phase contrast magnetic resonance angiography at baseline and after 120 min. The primary endpoint was the change from baseline in total renal artery blood flow. Therapeutic targeting of renal vasoconstriction with serelaxin in the rat models increased kidney perfusion, oxygenation, and function through reduction in renal vascular resistance, reversal of endothelial dysfunction, and increased activation of the AKT/eNOS/NO signaling pathway in the kidney. In the randomized clinical study, infusion of serelaxin for 120 min increased total renal arterial blood flow by 65% (95% CI 40%, 95%; p < 0.001) from baseline. Administration of serelaxin was safe and well tolerated, with no detrimental effect on systemic blood pressure or hepatic perfusion. The clinical study's main limitations were the relatively small sample size and stable, well-compensated population. CONCLUSIONS Our mechanistic findings in rat models and exploratory study in human cirrhosis suggest the therapeutic potential of selective renal vasodilation using serelaxin as a new treatment for renal dysfunction in cirrhosis, although further validation in patients with more advanced cirrhosis and renal dysfunction is required. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01640964.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria K Snowdon
- MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Neil J Lachlan
- MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Anna M Hoy
- MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick W F Hadoke
- British Heart Foundation/University of Edinburgh Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Scott I Semple
- British Heart Foundation/University of Edinburgh Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Clinical Research Imaging Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Dilip Patel
- Department of Radiology, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Will Mungall
- Biological Services, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy J Kendall
- MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian Thomson
- British Heart Foundation/University of Edinburgh Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Ross J Lennen
- British Heart Foundation/University of Edinburgh Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Maurits A Jansen
- British Heart Foundation/University of Edinburgh Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Carmel M Moran
- British Heart Foundation/University of Edinburgh Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Antonella Pellicoro
- MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Prakash Ramachandran
- MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Isaac Shaw
- MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca L Aucott
- MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Rajnish Saini
- Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Judy Pak
- Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Denise Yates
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | | | - Jeremy S Duffield
- Division of Nephrology and Lung Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - David J Webb
- British Heart Foundation/University of Edinburgh Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - John P Iredale
- MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Peter C Hayes
- MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan A Fallowfield
- MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Wang S, Herbst EB, Pye SD, Moran CM, Hossack JA. Pipe Phantoms With Applications in Molecular Imaging and System Characterization. IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelectr Freq Control 2017; 64:39-52. [PMID: 27845659 PMCID: PMC5490078 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2016.2626465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Pipe (vessel) phantoms mimicking human tissue and blood flow are widely used for cardiovascular related research in medical ultrasound. Pipe phantom studies require the development of materials and liquids that match the acoustic properties of soft tissue, blood vessel wall, and blood. Over recent years, pipe phantoms have been developed to mimic the molecular properties of the simulated blood vessels. In this paper, the design, construction, and functionalization of pipe phantoms are introduced and validated for applications in molecular imaging and ultrasound imaging system characterization. There are three major types of pipe phantoms introduced: 1) a gelatin-based pipe phantom; 2) a polydimethylsiloxane-based pipe phantom; and 3) the "Edinburgh pipe phantom." These phantoms may be used in the validation and assessment of the dynamics of microbubble-based contrast agents and, in the case of a small diameter tube phantom, for assessing imaging system spatial resolution/contrast performance. The materials and procedures required to address each of the phantoms are described.
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26
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Sun C, Panagakou I, Sboros V, Butler MB, Kenwright D, Thomson AJW, Moran CM. Influence of temperature, needle gauge and injection rate on the size distribution, concentration and acoustic responses of ultrasound contrast agents at high frequency. Ultrasonics 2016; 70:84-91. [PMID: 27140502 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2016.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Revised: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/16/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
This paper investigated the influence of needle gauge (19G and 27G), injection rate (0.85ml·min(-1), 3ml·min(-1)) and temperature (room temperature (RT) and body temperature (BT)) on the mean diameter, concentration, acoustic attenuation, contrast to tissue ratio (CTR) and normalised subharmonic intensity (NSI) of three ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs): Definity, SonoVue and MicroMarker (untargeted). A broadband substitution technique was used to acquire the acoustic properties over the frequency range 17-31MHz with a preclinical ultrasound scanner Vevo770 (Visualsonics, Canada). Significant differences (P<0.001-P<0.05) between typical in vitro setting (19G needle, 3ml·min(-1) at RT) and typical in vivo setting (27G needle, 0.85ml·min(-1) at BT) were found for SonoVue and MicroMarker. Moreover we found that the mean volume-based diameter and concentration of both SonoVue and Definity reduced significantly when changing from typical in vitro to in vivo experimental set-ups, while those for MicroMarker did not significantly change. From our limited measurements of Definity, we found no significant change in attenuation, CTR and NSI with needle gauge. For SonoVue, all the measured acoustic properties (attenuation, CTR and NSI) reduced significantly when changing from typical in vitro to in vivo experimental conditions, while for MicroMarker, only the NSI reduced, with attenuation and CTR increasing significantly. These differences suggest that changes in physical compression and temperature are likely to alter the shell structure of the UCAs resulting in measureable and significant changes in the physical and high frequency acoustical properties of the contrast agents under typical in vitro and preclinical in vivo experimental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Sun
- Medical Physics, Centre for Cardiovascular Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Ultrasound Department, Xijing Hospital, Xi'an, China
| | - Ioanna Panagakou
- Medical Physics, Centre for Cardiovascular Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Vassilis Sboros
- Medical Physics, Centre for Cardiovascular Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Institute of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Mairead B Butler
- Medical Physics, Centre for Cardiovascular Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK; Institute of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - David Kenwright
- Medical Physics, Centre for Cardiovascular Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Adrian J W Thomson
- Medical Physics, Centre for Cardiovascular Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Carmel M Moran
- Medical Physics, Centre for Cardiovascular Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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Fischer A, Pianca N, Azzimato V, Batchen EJ, Messer AE, Ben Jehuda R, Mueller AM, Bangert A, Bockstahler M, Oettl R, Katus HA, Kaya Z, Prando V, Franzoso M, Di Bona A, Campione M, Sandri M, Zaglia T, Mongillo M, Tabish AM, Buyandelger B, Enesa KN, Hunt J, Milner R, Wiseman JW, Wahlgren J, Bohlooly M, Knoell R, Richardson RV, Thomson AJW, Moran CM, Gray GA, Chapman KE, Papadaki M, Vikhorev PG, Sheehan A, Marston SB, Hallas T, Haykain T, Eisen B, Schick R, Gherghiceanu M, Mandel H, Arad M, Binah O. Moderated Poster Session - Heart245The involvement of TWEAK and FN14 in murine autoimmune myocarditis246Sympathetic neurons that innervate the heart locally modulate cardiomyocyte trophic and electrophysiological properties247W4R variant of CSRP3 leads to the expression of a novel alternate reading frame protein due to alternative splicing248Glucocorticoid intervention prenatally: effects on fetal heart maturation249Uncoupling of myofilament Ca2+-sensitivity from troponin I phosphorylation by hypertrophic and dilated cardiomyopathy mutations can be reversed by EGCG and related Hsp90 inhibitors250Investigating inherited HCM caused by SCO2 and PRKAG2 mutations using the patients' induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Cardiovasc Res 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvw132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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28
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Piper RJ, Hughes MA, Moran CM, Kandasamy J. Focused ultrasound as a non-invasive intervention for neurological disease: a review. Br J Neurosurg 2016; 30:286-93. [DOI: 10.3109/02688697.2016.1173189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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29
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White CI, Jansen MA, McGregor K, Mylonas KJ, Richardson RV, Thomson A, Moran CM, Seckl JR, Walker BR, Chapman KE, Gray GA. Cardiomyocyte and Vascular Smooth Muscle-Independent 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase 1 Amplifies Infarct Expansion, Hypertrophy, and the Development of Heart Failure After Myocardial Infarction in Male Mice. Endocrinology 2016; 157:346-57. [PMID: 26465199 PMCID: PMC4701896 DOI: 10.1210/en.2015-1630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Global deficiency of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1), an enzyme that regenerates glucocorticoids within cells, promotes angiogenesis, and reduces acute infarct expansion after myocardial infarction (MI), suggesting that 11β-HSD1 activity has an adverse influence on wound healing in the heart after MI. The present study investigated whether 11β-HSD1 deficiency could prevent the development of heart failure after MI and examined whether 11β-HSD1 deficiency in cardiomyocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells confers this protection. Male mice with global deficiency in 11β-HSD1, or with Hsd11b1 disruption in cardiac and vascular smooth muscle (via SM22α-Cre recombinase), underwent coronary artery ligation for induction of MI. Acute injury was equivalent in all groups. However, by 8 weeks after induction of MI, relative to C57Bl/6 wild type, globally 11β-HSD1-deficient mice had reduced infarct size (34.7 ± 2.1% left ventricle [LV] vs 44.0 ± 3.3% LV, P = .02), improved function (ejection fraction, 33.5 ± 2.5% vs 24.7 ± 2.5%, P = .03) and reduced ventricular dilation (LV end-diastolic volume, 0.17 ± 0.01 vs 0.21 ± 0.01 mL, P = .01). This was accompanied by a reduction in hypertrophy, pulmonary edema, and in the expression of genes encoding atrial natriuretic peptide and β-myosin heavy chain. None of these outcomes, nor promotion of periinfarct angiogenesis during infarct repair, were recapitulated when 11β-HSD1 deficiency was restricted to cardiac and vascular smooth muscle. 11β-HSD1 expressed in cells other than cardiomyocytes or vascular smooth muscle limits angiogenesis and promotes infarct expansion with adverse ventricular remodeling after MI. Early pharmacological inhibition of 11β-HSD1 may offer a new therapeutic approach to prevent heart failure associated with ischemic heart disease.
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MESH Headings
- 11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1/deficiency
- 11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1/genetics
- 11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1/metabolism
- Animals
- Cardiomegaly/etiology
- Cardiomegaly/prevention & control
- Coronary Circulation
- Crosses, Genetic
- Gene Expression Regulation
- Heart Failure/etiology
- Heart Failure/prevention & control
- Heart Ventricles/metabolism
- Heart Ventricles/pathology
- Heart Ventricles/physiopathology
- Male
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Knockout
- Mice, Transgenic
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/enzymology
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/metabolism
- Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/pathology
- Myocardial Infarction/metabolism
- Myocardial Infarction/pathology
- Myocardial Infarction/physiopathology
- Myocytes, Cardiac/enzymology
- Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism
- Myocytes, Cardiac/pathology
- Neovascularization, Physiologic
- Organ Size
- Pulmonary Edema/etiology
- Pulmonary Edema/prevention & control
- Stroke Volume
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher I White
- British Heart Foundation/University Centre for Cardiovascular Science (C.I.W., M.A.J., K.M., K.J.M., R.V.R., C.M.M., J.R.S., B.R.W., K.E.C., G.A.G.), Queens Medical Research Institute, and Edinburgh Preclinical Imaging (M.A.J., A.T., C.M.M.), College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Maurits A Jansen
- British Heart Foundation/University Centre for Cardiovascular Science (C.I.W., M.A.J., K.M., K.J.M., R.V.R., C.M.M., J.R.S., B.R.W., K.E.C., G.A.G.), Queens Medical Research Institute, and Edinburgh Preclinical Imaging (M.A.J., A.T., C.M.M.), College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Kieran McGregor
- British Heart Foundation/University Centre for Cardiovascular Science (C.I.W., M.A.J., K.M., K.J.M., R.V.R., C.M.M., J.R.S., B.R.W., K.E.C., G.A.G.), Queens Medical Research Institute, and Edinburgh Preclinical Imaging (M.A.J., A.T., C.M.M.), College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Katie J Mylonas
- British Heart Foundation/University Centre for Cardiovascular Science (C.I.W., M.A.J., K.M., K.J.M., R.V.R., C.M.M., J.R.S., B.R.W., K.E.C., G.A.G.), Queens Medical Research Institute, and Edinburgh Preclinical Imaging (M.A.J., A.T., C.M.M.), College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Rachel V Richardson
- British Heart Foundation/University Centre for Cardiovascular Science (C.I.W., M.A.J., K.M., K.J.M., R.V.R., C.M.M., J.R.S., B.R.W., K.E.C., G.A.G.), Queens Medical Research Institute, and Edinburgh Preclinical Imaging (M.A.J., A.T., C.M.M.), College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian Thomson
- British Heart Foundation/University Centre for Cardiovascular Science (C.I.W., M.A.J., K.M., K.J.M., R.V.R., C.M.M., J.R.S., B.R.W., K.E.C., G.A.G.), Queens Medical Research Institute, and Edinburgh Preclinical Imaging (M.A.J., A.T., C.M.M.), College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Carmel M Moran
- British Heart Foundation/University Centre for Cardiovascular Science (C.I.W., M.A.J., K.M., K.J.M., R.V.R., C.M.M., J.R.S., B.R.W., K.E.C., G.A.G.), Queens Medical Research Institute, and Edinburgh Preclinical Imaging (M.A.J., A.T., C.M.M.), College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan R Seckl
- British Heart Foundation/University Centre for Cardiovascular Science (C.I.W., M.A.J., K.M., K.J.M., R.V.R., C.M.M., J.R.S., B.R.W., K.E.C., G.A.G.), Queens Medical Research Institute, and Edinburgh Preclinical Imaging (M.A.J., A.T., C.M.M.), College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Brian R Walker
- British Heart Foundation/University Centre for Cardiovascular Science (C.I.W., M.A.J., K.M., K.J.M., R.V.R., C.M.M., J.R.S., B.R.W., K.E.C., G.A.G.), Queens Medical Research Institute, and Edinburgh Preclinical Imaging (M.A.J., A.T., C.M.M.), College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Karen E Chapman
- British Heart Foundation/University Centre for Cardiovascular Science (C.I.W., M.A.J., K.M., K.J.M., R.V.R., C.M.M., J.R.S., B.R.W., K.E.C., G.A.G.), Queens Medical Research Institute, and Edinburgh Preclinical Imaging (M.A.J., A.T., C.M.M.), College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Gillian A Gray
- British Heart Foundation/University Centre for Cardiovascular Science (C.I.W., M.A.J., K.M., K.J.M., R.V.R., C.M.M., J.R.S., B.R.W., K.E.C., G.A.G.), Queens Medical Research Institute, and Edinburgh Preclinical Imaging (M.A.J., A.T., C.M.M.), College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, Scotland, United Kingdom
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Kenwright DA, Thomson AJW, Hadoke PWF, Anderson T, Moran CM, Gray GA, Hoskins PR. A Protocol for Improved Measurement of Arterial Flow Rate in Preclinical Ultrasound. Ultrasound Int Open 2015; 1:E46-52. [PMID: 27689153 DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1564268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Accepted: 09/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To describe a protocol for the measurement of blood flow rate in small animals and to compare flow rate measurements against measurements made using a transit time flowmeter. MATERIALS AND METHODS Measurements were made in rat and mice using a Visualsonics Vevo 770 scanner. The flow rate in carotid and femoral arteries was calculated from the time-average maximum velocity and vessel diameter. A correction factor was applied to correct for the overestimation of velocity arising from geometric spectral broadening. Invasive flow rate measurements were made using a Transonics system. RESULTS Measurements were achieved in rat carotid and femoral arteries and in mouse carotid arteries. Image quality in the mouse femoral artery was too poor to obtain diameter measurements. The applied correction factor in practice was 0.71-0.77. The diameter varied by 6-18% during the cardiac cycle. There was no overall difference in the flow rate measured using ultrasound and using transit-time flowmeters. The flow rates were comparable with those previously reported in the literature. There was wide variation in flow rates in the same artery in individual animals. Transit-time measurements were associated with changes of a factor of 10 during the typical 40 min measurement period, associated with probe movement, vessel spasm, vessel kinking and other effects. CONCLUSION A protocol for the measurement of flow rate in arteries in small animals has been described and successfully used in rat carotid and femoral arteries and in mouse carotid arteries. The availability of a noninvasive procedure for flow rate measurement avoids the problems with changes in flow associated with an invasive procedure.
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Affiliation(s)
- D A Kenwright
- Edinburgh University, University-BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - A J W Thomson
- Edinburgh University, University-BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - P W F Hadoke
- Edinburgh University, University-BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - T Anderson
- Edinburgh University, University-BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - C M Moran
- Edinburgh University, University-BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - G A Gray
- Edinburgh University, University-BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - P R Hoskins
- Edinburgh University, University-BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Batchen EJ, Richardson RV, Thomson AJW, Moran CM, Gray GA, Chapman KE. 26 Advancement of fetal heart maturation with precocious glucocorticoid treatment is dependent upon maternal genotype. Heart 2015. [DOI: 10.1136/heartjnl-2015-308734.26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Kenwright DA, Anderson T, Moran CM, Hoskins PR. Assessment of Spectral Doppler for an Array-Based Preclinical Ultrasound Scanner Using a Rotating Phantom. Ultrasound Med Biol 2015; 41:2232-2239. [PMID: 25957754 PMCID: PMC4510153 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2015.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2015] [Revised: 03/24/2015] [Accepted: 04/06/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Velocity measurement errors were investigated for an array-based preclinical ultrasound scanner (Vevo 2100, FUJIFILM VisualSonics, Toronto, ON, Canada). Using a small-size rotating phantom made from a tissue-mimicking material, errors in pulse-wave Doppler maximum velocity measurements were observed. The extent of these errors was dependent on the Doppler angle, gate length, gate depth, gate horizontal placement and phantom velocity. Errors were observed to be up to 172% at high beam-target angles. It was found that small gate lengths resulted in larger velocity errors than large gate lengths, a phenomenon that has not previously been reported (e.g., for a beam-target angle of 0°, the error was 27.8% with a 0.2-mm gate length and 5.4% with a 0.98-mm gate length). The error in the velocity measurement with sample volume depth changed depending on the operating frequency of the probe. Some edge effects were observed in the horizontal placement of the sample volume, indicating a change in the array aperture size. The error in the velocity measurements increased with increased phantom velocity, from 22% at 2.4 cm/s to 30% at 26.6 cm/s. To minimise the impact of these errors, an angle-dependent correction factor was derived based on a simple ray model of geometric spectral broadening. Use of this angle-dependent correction factor reduces the maximum velocity measurement errors to <25% in all instances, significantly improving the current estimation of maximum velocity from pulse-wave Doppler ultrasound.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Kenwright
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| | - Tom Anderson
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Carmel M Moran
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Peter R Hoskins
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Rinaldi SF, Makieva S, Frew L, Wade J, Thomson AJW, Moran CM, Norman JE, Stock SJ. Ultrasound-guided intrauterine injection of lipopolysaccharide as a novel model of preterm birth in the mouse. Am J Pathol 2015; 185:1201-6. [PMID: 25747535 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpath.2015.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2014] [Revised: 01/19/2015] [Accepted: 01/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Mouse models are used to study mechanisms that link intrauterine infection and preterm birth (PTB). To mimic intrauterine infection, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is commonly injected into the uterus via minilaparotomy, which is invasive, and can cause PTB in control animals. We hypothesized that less-invasive ultrasound-guided intrauterine LPS injection or intravaginal LPS administration could induce PTB by stimulating an inflammatory response of the uteroplacental tissues, while minimizing PTB in control animals. On day 17 of gestation mice received LPS intravaginally (10 to 240 μg; n = 3 to 8) or into the uterus (20 μg) under ultrasound guidance (n = 7) or via laparotomy (n = 7). Control animals received phosphate-buffered saline (PBS; n = 5 to 7). Intrauterine administration of LPS, both under ultrasound guidance and via laparotomy, induced delivery earlier than in PBS control groups (P < 0.01). Intravaginal LPS administration did not stimulate PTB. Quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry of tissues harvested 6 hours after treatment confirmed that ultrasound-guided LPS administration induced a localized inflammatory response. Ultrasound-guided intrauterine LPS injection reliably induces PTB in the mouse and mimics the local inflammatory and immune responses observed in the more-invasive laparotomy model of inflammation-induced PTB. Ultrasound-guided intrauterine LPS injection is a useful novel model of PTB for future studies and concords with the principles of reduction, replacement, and refinement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara F Rinaldi
- Tommy's Centre for Maternal and Fetal Health at the Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Sofia Makieva
- Tommy's Centre for Maternal and Fetal Health at the Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Lorraine Frew
- Tommy's Centre for Maternal and Fetal Health at the Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jean Wade
- Tommy's Centre for Maternal and Fetal Health at the Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Adrian J W Thomson
- University/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Carmel M Moran
- University/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Jane E Norman
- Tommy's Centre for Maternal and Fetal Health at the Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah J Stock
- Tommy's Centre for Maternal and Fetal Health at the Medical Research Council Centre for Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
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Kenwright DA, Laverick N, Anderson T, Moran CM, Hoskins PR. Wall-less flow phantom for high-frequency ultrasound applications. Ultrasound Med Biol 2015; 41:890-7. [PMID: 25542496 PMCID: PMC4342409 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2014.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2014] [Revised: 09/10/2014] [Accepted: 09/11/2014] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
There are currently very few test objects suitable for high-frequency ultrasound scanners that can be rapidly manufactured, have appropriate acoustic characteristics and are suitably robust. Here we describe techniques for the creation of a wall-less flow phantom using a physically robust konjac and carrageenan-based tissue-mimicking material. Vessel dimensions equivalent to those of mouse and rat arteries were achieved with steady flow, with the vessel at a depth of 1.0 mm. We then employed the phantom to briefly investigate velocity errors using pulsed wave Doppler with a commercial preclinical ultrasound system. This phantom will provide a useful tool for testing preclinical ultrasound imaging systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Kenwright
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| | - Nicola Laverick
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Tom Anderson
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Carmel M Moran
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Peter R Hoskins
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Kenwright DA, Sadhoo N, Rajagopal S, Anderson T, Moran CM, Hadoke PW, Gray GA, Zeqiri B, Hoskins PR. acoustic assessment of a konjac–carrageenan tissue-mimicking material aT 5–60 MHZ. Ultrasound Med Biol 2014; 40:2895-902. [PMID: 25438864 PMCID: PMC4259902 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2014.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Revised: 07/03/2014] [Accepted: 07/11/2014] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The acoustic properties of a robust tissue-mimicking material based on konjac–carrageenan at ultrasound frequencies in the range 5–60 MHz are described. Acoustic properties were characterized using two methods: a broadband reflection substitution technique using a commercially available preclinical ultrasound scanner (Vevo 770, FUJIFILM VisualSonics, Toronto, ON, Canada), and a dedicated high-frequency ultrasound facility developed at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL, Teddington, UK), which employed a broadband through-transmission substitution technique. The mean speed of sound across the measured frequencies was found to be 1551.7 ± 12.7 and 1547.7 ± 3.3 m s21, respectively. The attenuation exhibited a non-linear dependence on frequency, f (MHz), in the form of a polynomial function: 0.009787f2 1 0.2671f and 0.01024f2 1 0.3639f, respectively. The characterization of this tissue-mimicking material will provide reference data for designing phantoms for preclinical systems, which may, in certain applications such as flow phantoms, require a physically more robust tissuemimicking material than is currently available.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Kenwright
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
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Richardson RV, Rog-Zielinska EA, Thomson AJW, Moran CM, Kenyon CJ, Gray GA, Chapman KE. P362Pathological cardiac remodeling caused by cardiomyocyte/vascular smooth muscle glucocorticoid receptor deficiency. Cardiovasc Res 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/cvr/cvu091.46] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Sun C, Sboros V, Butler MB, Moran CM. In vitro acoustic characterization of three phospholipid ultrasound contrast agents from 12 to 43 MHz. Ultrasound Med Biol 2014; 40:541-50. [PMID: 24361219 PMCID: PMC3923973 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2013.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2013] [Revised: 10/09/2013] [Accepted: 10/13/2013] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
The acoustic properties of two clinical (Definity, Lantheus Medical Imaging, North Billerica, MA, USA; SonoVue, Bracco S.P.A., Milan, Italy) and one pre-clinical (MicroMarker, untargeted, Bracco, Geneva, Switzerland; VisualSonics, Toronto, ON, Canada) ultrasound contrast agent were characterized using a broadband substitution technique over the ultrasound frequency range 12-43 MHz at 20 ± 1°C. At the same number concentration, the acoustic attenuation and contrast-to-tissue ratio of the three native ultrasound contrast agents are comparable at frequencies below 30 MHz, though their size distributions and encapsulated gases and shells differ. At frequencies above 30 MHz, native MicroMarker has higher attenuation values and contrast-to-tissue ratios than native Definity and SonoVue. Decantation was found to be an effective method to alter the size distribution and concentration of native clinical microbubble populations, enabling further contrast enhancement for specific pre-clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Sun
- Medical Physics, Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Vassilis Sboros
- Medical Physics, Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Institute of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Mairead B Butler
- Medical Physics, Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Institute of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Carmel M Moran
- Medical Physics, Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
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Moran CM, Inglis S, Pye SD. The Resolution Integral - a tool for characterising the performance of diagnostic ultrasound scanners. Ultrasound 2014; 22:37-43. [PMID: 27433191 DOI: 10.1177/1742271x13518202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, we describe how the resolution integral can be used as a tool for characterising the grey-scale imaging of diagnostic ultrasound scanners. The definitions of resolution integral, characteristic resolution and depth of field are discussed in relation to grey-scale imaging performance, together with a method of measuring these parameters using the Edinburgh Pipe Phantom. We show how the characteristic resolution and depth of field can be used to quantify the differences between transducers designed for different applications and how they are useful in identifying and quantifying changes in the performance of individual transducers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmel M Moran
- Medical Physics, Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Inst. University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Scott Inglis
- Medical Physics, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Stephen D Pye
- Medical Physics, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Richardson RV, Rog-Zielinska EA, Thomson AJW, Moran CM, Kenyon CJ, Gray GA, Chapman KE. 19 Sex Differences in Pathological Remodelling Caused by Cardiomyocyte/Vascular Smooth Muscle Glucocorticoid Receptor Defficiency. Heart 2014. [DOI: 10.1136/heartjnl-2013-305297.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Yang X, Sun C, Anderson T, Moran CM, Hadoke PWF, Gray GA, Hoskins PR. Assessment of spectral Doppler in preclinical ultrasound using a small-size rotating phantom. Ultrasound Med Biol 2013; 39:1491-1499. [PMID: 23711503 PMCID: PMC3839405 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2013.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2012] [Revised: 03/06/2013] [Accepted: 03/08/2013] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Preclinical ultrasound scanners are used to measure blood flow in small animals, but the potential errors in blood velocity measurements have not been quantified. This investigation rectifies this omission through the design and use of phantoms and evaluation of measurement errors for a preclinical ultrasound system (Vevo 770, Visualsonics, Toronto, ON, Canada). A ray model of geometric spectral broadening was used to predict velocity errors. A small-scale rotating phantom, made from tissue-mimicking material, was developed. True and Doppler-measured maximum velocities of the moving targets were compared over a range of angles from 10° to 80°. Results indicate that the maximum velocity was overestimated by up to 158% by spectral Doppler. There was good agreement (<10%) between theoretical velocity errors and measured errors for beam-target angles of 50°-80°. However, for angles of 10°-40°, the agreement was not as good (>50%). The phantom is capable of validating the performance of blood velocity measurement in preclinical ultrasound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Yang
- British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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Rog-Zielinska EA, Thomson A, Kenyon CJ, Brownstein DG, Moran CM, Szumska D, Michailidou Z, Richardson J, Owen E, Watt A, Morrison H, Forrester LM, Bhattacharya S, Holmes MC, Chapman KE. Glucocorticoid receptor is required for foetal heart maturation. Hum Mol Genet 2013; 22:3269-82. [PMID: 23595884 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddt182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucocorticoids are vital for the structural and functional maturation of foetal organs, yet excessive foetal exposure is detrimental to adult cardiovascular health. To elucidate the role of glucocorticoid signalling in late-gestation cardiovascular maturation, we have generated mice with conditional disruption of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in cardiomyocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells using smooth muscle protein 22-driven Cre recombinase (SMGRKO mice) and compared them with mice with global deficiency in GR (GR(-/-)). Echocardiography shows impaired heart function in both SMGRKO and GR(-/-) mice at embryonic day (E)17.5, associated with generalized oedema. Cardiac ultrastructure is markedly disrupted in both SMGRKO and GR(-/-) mice at E17.5, with short, disorganized myofibrils and cardiomyocytes that fail to align in the compact myocardium. Failure to induce critical genes involved in contractile function, calcium handling and energy metabolism underpins this common phenotype. However, although hearts of GR(-/-) mice are smaller, with 22% reduced ventricular volume at E17.5, SMGRKO hearts are normally sized. Moreover, while levels of mRNA encoding atrial natriuretic peptide are reduced in E17.5 GR(-/-) hearts, they are normal in foetal SMGRKO hearts. These data demonstrate that structural, functional and biochemical maturation of the foetal heart is dependent on glucocorticoid signalling within cardiomyocytes and vascular smooth muscle, though some aspects of heart maturation (size, ANP expression) are independent of GR at these key sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva A Rog-Zielinska
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
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Filoux E, Mamou J, Moran CM, Pye SD, Ketterling JA. Correspondence - Characterization of the effective performance of a high-frequency annular-array-based imaging system using anechoic-pipe phantoms. IEEE Trans Ultrason Ferroelectr Freq Control 2012; 59:2825-30. [PMID: 23221233 PMCID: PMC3531879 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2012/2525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
A resolution integral (RI) method based on anechoic- pipe, tissue-mimicking phantoms was used to compare the detection capabilities of high-frequency imaging systems based on a single-element transducer, a state-of-the-art 256-element linear array, or a 5-element annular array. All transducers had a central frequency of 40 MHz with similar conventionally measured axial and lateral resolutions (about 50 and 85 μm, respectively). Using the RI metric, the annular array achieved the highest performance (RI = 60), followed by the linear array (RI = 47), and the single-element transducer (RI = 24). Results showed that the RI metric could be used to efficiently quantify the effective transducer performance and compare the image quality of different systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erwan Filoux
- Riverside Research, F.L. Lizzi Center for Biomedical Engineering, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan Mamou
- Riverside Research, F.L. Lizzi Center for Biomedical Engineering, New York, NY, USA
| | - Carmel M. Moran
- Center for Cardiovascular Science, Queen’s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Stephen D. Pye
- NHS Lothian, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Moran CM, Thomson AJW, Rog-Zielinska E, Gray GA. High-resolution echocardiography in the assessment of cardiac physiology and disease in preclinical models. Exp Physiol 2012; 98:629-44. [PMID: 23118017 DOI: 10.1113/expphysiol.2012.068577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The high temporal and spatial resolution of echocardiography makes it a powerful and reliable tool for the non-invasive study of cardiac phenotype and disease in both adult and embryonic preclinical models. This overview of the use of high-resolution ultrasound for echocardiography highlights the present and potential applications of the technique.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmel M Moran
- BHF/University Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, 47 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK.
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Richardson RV, Kenyon CJ, Thomson AJW, Moran CM, Gray GA, Chapman KE. A ROLE FOR THE GLUCOCORTICOID RECEPTOR IN CARDIAC REMODELLING? Heart 2012. [DOI: 10.1136/heartjnl-2012-303148a.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Hastings JM, Morris KD, Allan D, Wilson H, Millar RP, Fraser HM, Moran CM. Contrast imaging ultrasound detects abnormalities in the marmoset ovary. Am J Primatol 2012; 74:1088-96. [PMID: 22890799 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2012] [Revised: 07/03/2012] [Accepted: 07/03/2012] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The development of a functional vascular tree within the primate ovary is critical for reproductive health. To determine the efficacy of contrast agents to image the microvascular environment within the primate ovary, contrast ultrasonography was performed in six reproductive-aged female common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) during the late luteal phase of the cycle, following injection of Sonovue™. Regions of interest (ROIs), representing the corpus luteum (CL) and noncorpus luteum ovarian tissue (NCLOT), were selected during gray-scale B-mode ultrasound imaging. The magnitude of backscatter intensity of CL and NCLOT ROIs were calculated in XnView, post hoc: subsequent gamma-variate modeling was implemented in Matlab to determine perfusion parameters. Histological analysis of these ovaries revealed a total of 11 CL, nine of which were identified during contrast ultrasonography. The median enhancement ratio was significantly increased in the CL (5.54AU; 95% CI -2.21-68.71) compared to the NCLOT (2.82AU; 95% CI 2.73-15.06; P < 0.05). There was no difference in time parameters between the CL and NCLOT. An additional avascular ROI was identified in the ovary of Animal 5, both histologically and by ultrasonography. This cystic ROI displayed a markedly lower enhancement ratio (0.79AU) and higher time parameters than mean CL and NCLOT, including time to peak and time to wash out. These data demonstrate, for the first time, the ability of commercially available contrast agents, to differentiate structures within the nonhuman primate ovary. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography has a promising future in reproductive medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- J M Hastings
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, Queen's Medical Research Institute, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
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Sun C, Pye SD, Browne JE, Janeczko A, Ellis B, Butler MB, Sboros V, Thomson AJW, Brewin MP, Earnshaw CH, Moran CM. The speed of sound and attenuation of an IEC agar-based tissue-mimicking material for high frequency ultrasound applications. Ultrasound Med Biol 2012; 38:1262-70. [PMID: 22502881 PMCID: PMC3377968 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2012.02.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2011] [Revised: 02/22/2012] [Accepted: 02/25/2012] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
This study characterized the acoustic properties of an International Electromechanical Commission (IEC) agar-based tissue mimicking material (TMM) at ultrasound frequencies in the range 10-47 MHz. A broadband reflection substitution technique was employed using two independent systems at 21°C ± 1°C. Using a commercially available preclinical ultrasound scanner and a scanning acoustic macroscope, the measured speeds of sound were 1547.4 ± 1.4 m∙s(-1) and 1548.0 ± 6.1 m∙s(-1), respectively, and were approximately constant over the frequency range. The measured attenuation (dB∙cm(-1)) was found to vary with frequency f (MHz) as 0.40f + 0.0076f(2). Using this polynomial equation and extrapolating to lower frequencies give values comparable to those published at lower frequencies and can estimate the attenuation of this TMM in the frequency range up to 47 MHz. This characterisation enhances understanding in the use of this TMM as a tissue equivalent material for high frequency ultrasound applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Sun
- Centre for Cardiovascular Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
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King DM, Moran CM, McNamara JD, Fagan AJ, Browne JE. Development of a vessel-mimicking material for use in anatomically realistic Doppler flow phantoms. Ultrasound Med Biol 2011; 37:813-826. [PMID: 21497719 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2011.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2010] [Revised: 02/17/2011] [Accepted: 02/19/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Polyvinyl alcohol cryogel (PVA-C) is presented as a vessel-mimicking material for use in anatomically realistic Doppler flow phantoms. Three different batches of 10% wt PVA-C containing (i) PVA-C alone, (ii) PVA-C with antibacterial agent and (iii) PVA-C with silicon carbide particles were produced, each with 1-6 freeze-thaw cycles. The resulting PVA-C samples were characterized acoustically (over a range 2.65 to 10.5 MHz) and mechanically to determine the optimum mixture and preparation for mimicking the properties of healthy and diseased arteries found in vivo. This optimum mix was reached with the PVA-C with antibacterial agent sample, prepared after two freeze/thaw cycles, which achieved a speed of sound of 1538 ± 5 m s(-1) and a Young's elastic modulus of 79 ± 11 kPa. This material was used to make a range of anatomically realistic flow phantoms with varying degrees of stenoses, and subsequent flow experiments revealed that higher degrees of stenoses and higher velocities could be achieved without phantom rupturing compared with a phantom containing conventional wall-less vessels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deirdre M King
- Medical Ultrasound Physics and Technology Group, School of Physics and FOCAS Institute, Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Ireland
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Moran CM, Pye SD, Ellis W, Janeczko A, Morris KD, McNeilly AS, Fraser HM. A comparison of the imaging performance of high resolution ultrasound scanners for preclinical imaging. Ultrasound Med Biol 2011; 37:493-501. [PMID: 21256667 PMCID: PMC3183231 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2010.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2009] [Revised: 11/05/2010] [Accepted: 11/22/2010] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Nine ultrasound transducers from six ultrasound scanners were assessed for their utility for preclinical ultrasound imaging. The transducers were: L8-16, L10-22 (Diasus; Dynamic Imaging Ltd., Livingston, UK); L17-5, L15-7io (iU22; Philips, Seattle, WA, USA), HFL38/13-6 (MicroMaxx; Sonosite Inc., Bothell, WA, USA); il3Lv (Vivid 5; GE, Fairfield, CT, USA), RMV 704 (Vevo 770; Visualsonics Inc., Toronto, Canada) and MS550S, MS550D (Vevo 2100; Visualsonics Inc.). A quantitative analysis of the ultrasound images from all nine transducers employed measurements of the resolution integral as an indication of the versatility and technology of the ultrasound scanners. Two other parameters derived from the resolution integral, the characteristic resolution and depth of field, were used to characterise imaging performance. Six of these transducers were also assessed qualitatively by ultrasonically scanning 59 female common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) yielding a total of 215 scans. The quantitative measurements for each of the transducers were consistent with the results obtained in the qualitative in vivo assessment. Over a 0-10 mm imaging depth, the values of the resolution integral, characteristic resolution and depth of field, measured using the Edinburgh Pipe Phantom, ranged in magnitude from 7-72, 93-930 μm and 3.3-9.2 mm respectively. The largest resolution integrals were obtained using the Vevo 770 and Vevo 2100 scanners. The Edinburgh Pipe Phantom provides a quantitative method of characterising the imaging performance of preclinical imaging scanners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmel M Moran
- Medical Physics, Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences, The Queens Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
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King DM, Fagan AJ, Moran CM, Browne JE. Comparative imaging study in ultrasound, MRI, CT, and DSA using a multimodality renal artery phantom. Med Phys 2011; 38:565-73. [DOI: 10.1118/1.3533674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
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