Noninvasive microvascular imaging in newborn rats using high-frequency ultrafast ultrasound.

ABSTRACT

Ultrasound imaging stands as the predominant modality for neonatal health assessment, with recent advancements in ultrafast Doppler (µDoppler) technology offering significant promise in fields such as neonatal brain imaging. Combining µDoppler with high-frequency ultrasound (HF-µDoppler) presents a potential efficient avenue to enhance in vivo microvascular imaging in small animals, notably newborn rats, a crucial preclinical animal model for neonatal disease and development research. It is necessary to verify the imaging performance of HF-µDoppler in preclinical trials. This study investigates the microvascular imaging capabilities of HF-µDoppler using a 30 MHz high-frequency linear array probe in newborn rats. Results demonstrate the clarity of cerebral microvascular imaging in rats aged 1 to 7 postnatal days, extending to whole-body microvascular imaging, encompassing the central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord. In conclusion, HF-µDoppler technology emerges as a reliable imaging tool, offering a new perspective for preclinical investigations into neonatal diseases and development.