目的:本研究的目的是确定超声造影(CEUS)成像是否可用于评估慢性酒精引起的睾丸损伤(CAITD),并探讨CAITD的实验室和病理结果与CEUS定量参数之间的关系。
方法:36只家兔随机分为慢性乙醇暴露(CEE)组和阴性对照(NC)组,按暴露时间进一步随机分为6组,数量相等(30d,60d,90d)。所有兔子在诱导期结束时进行常规US和CEUS成像。收集血液和组织学标本进行实验室和病理检查。
结果:随着CAITD的进展,CEUS参数的峰强度(PI)和曲线下面积(AUC)降低(p<0.05)。PI和AUC均与Johnsen评分呈正相关(r分别为0.945和0.898,所有p值<0.001)和生精小管(METST)的平均上皮厚度(r分别为0.927和0.881,睾丸的所有p值<0.001),与血清内皮素-1(ET-1)水平呈负相关(r=-0.940和-0.899,所有p值<0.001)和一氧化氮(NO)(r分别为-0.894和-0.954,所有p值<0.001),以及睾丸组织丙二醛(MDA)含量(r=-0.894和-0.945,所有p值<0.001)。
结论:CEUS成像可用于监测睾丸的器官灌注,以量化CAITD的发展。
The goals of this study were to determine whether contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging could be used for assessment of chronic alcohol-induced testicular damage (CAITD) and to explore the relationships between the laboratory and pathological findings of CAITD and the quantitative parameters of CEUS.
Thirty-six rabbits were randomly divided into a chronic ethanol exposure (CEE) group and negative control (NC) group, which were further randomly divided into six groups with equal numbers of rabbits by period of exposure (30 d, 60 d, 90 d). All rabbits underwent conventional US and CEUS imaging at the end of the induction period. Blood and histological specimens were collected for laboratory and pathological examination.
The peak intensity (PI) and area under the curve (AUC) for the CEUS parameters decreased as CAITD progressed (p < 0.05). Both PI and AUC were positively correlated with the Johnsen score (r= 0.945 and 0.898, respectively, all p values <0.001) and the mean epithelium thickness of the seminiferous tubule (METST) (r= 0.927 and 0.881, respectively, all p values <0.001) of the testis, and negatively correlated with the serum levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1) (r = -0.940 and -0.899, respectively, all p values <0.001) and nitric oxide (NO) (r = -0.894 and -0.954, respectively, all p values <0.001), as well as the testicular tissue content of malondialdehyde (MDA) (r = -0.894 and -0.945, respectively, all p values <0.001).
CEUS imaging can be used for monitoring organ perfusion of the testis to quantify the development of CAITD.