Color Doppler and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography for assessment of vascular perfusion in porcine liver allografts with acute graft rejection / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the feasibility of evaluating hepatic blood perfusion after liver transplantation using color Doppler and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography and the diagnostic value of hepatic blood perfusion for acute graft rejection.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>In this before-after study with quantitative analysis, contrast-enhanced sonography was performed with simultaneous liver function monitoring in porcine models of allograft liver transplantation before and after the operation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In pigs with acute graft rejection, the AUC decreased significantly after transplantation as compared with that of non-rejection transplant group (F=11.069, P=0.011), but the parameters including A, Alpha, C, t(0), DPI, or TTP showed no significant differences between the two groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Pulse-inversion contrast harmonic imaging combined with acoustic quantitative technology can be an efficient means for evaluating blood perfusion in the liver allograft, and the TIC obtained using this method possesses high values for quantitative evaluation of liver allograft rejection.</p>

Protective effect of donator liver ischemic preconditioning on posttransplant liver graft function in Chinese miniature pigs / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the protective effect of the ischemia preconditioning of the donor liver on posttransplant liver graft function in Chinese miniature pigs.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty-five partially inbred Chinese miniature pigs were randomized into three groups, namely the normal control group, the ischemia-reperfusion group and ischemic preconditioning group. Biopsies of the liver graft were performed to analyze HSP70 expression by means of immunoblotting, and the changes of serum AST/ALT levels were assayed using an automated biochemical analyzer. Histopathological assessment was carried out to identify the hepatocyte injury using optical and transmission electron microscopy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Ischemia preconditioning resulted in a notable increase in HSP70 expression and milder injury of the hepatocyte microstructure, whereas ischemia-reperfusion caused a significant increase of serum transaminases level (P<0.01) with declined HSP70 expression and obvious microstructural changes of the liver tissue.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Ischemic preconditioning can produce obvious protective effects on the donor liver, and positively regulates the expression of shock protein.</p>