New boundaries of liver imaging: from morphology to function

Cruz, Manuel; Ferreira, Ana Aguiar; Papanikolaou, Nikolaos; Banerjee, Rajarshi; Alves, F. Caseiro

doi:10.1016/j.ejim.2020.06.004

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 119 publications

(146 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Compared to other methods, imaging allows for visualization of the location and nature of liver lesions and evaluation of liver function ( 6 ). Current imaging techniques commonly used for liver function evaluation include ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron-emission tomography (PET).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

In vivo evaluation of liver function by multimodal imaging in an alcohol-induced liver injury model

Song,

Wang,

Jia

et al. 2023

Quant Imaging Med Surg

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Visually evaluating liver function is a hot topic in hepatology research. There are few reliable and practical visualization methods for evaluating the liver function in vivo in experimental studies. In this study, we established a multimodal imaging approach for in vivo liver function evaluation and compared healthy mice with chronic alcoholic liver injury (cALI) model mice to explore its potential applicability in experimental research. Methods In vivo fluorescence imaging (IVFI) technology was utilized to visually represent the clearance of indocyanine green from the liver of both healthy mice and mice with cALI. The reserve liver function was evaluated via IVFI using the Cy5.5-galactosylated polylysine probe, which targets the asialoglycoprotein receptor of hepatocytes. Hepatic microcirculation was assessed through laser speckle perfusion imaging of hepatic blood perfusion. The liver microstructure was then investigated by in vivo confocal laser endomicroscopy imaging. Finally, hepatic asialoglycoprotein receptor expression, histology, and the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were measured. Results In vivo multimodal imaging results intuitively and dynamically showed that indocyanine green clearance [mean ± standard deviation (SD): 30.83±14.71, 95% confidence interval (CI): 20.3 to 41.35], the fluorescence signal intensity (mean ± SD: 1,217.92±117.63; 95% CI: 1,148.38 to 1,290.84) and fluorescence aggregation area (mean ± SD: 5,855.80±1,271.81; 95% CI: 5,051.57 to 6,653.88) of Cy5.5-galactosylated polylysine targeting the asialoglycoprotein receptor, and hepatic blood perfusion (mean ± SD: 1,494.86±299.33; 95% CI: 1,316.98 to 1,690.16) in model mice were significantly lower than those in healthy mice (all P<0.001). Compared to healthy mice, the model mice exhibited a significant decline in liver asialoglycoprotein receptor expression (mean ± SD: 219.03±16.34; 95% CI: 208.97 to 230.69; P<0.001), increased serum alanine aminotransferase (mean ± SD: 149.70±47.89 U/L; 95% CI: 81.75 to 128.89; P=0.01) and aspartate aminotransferase levels (mean ± SD: 106.30±36.13 U/L; 95% CI: 122.01 to 180.17; P=0.021), hepatocyte swelling and deformation, disappearance of the hepatic cord structure, partial necrosis, and disintegration of hepatocytes. The imaging features of fluorescence signals in liver regions, hepatic blood perfusion and microstructure were biologically related to hepatic asialoglycoprotein receptor expression, serum indices of liver function, and histopathology in model mice. Conclusions Utilizing in vivo multimodal imaging technology to assess liver function is a viable approach for experimental research, providing dynamic and intuitive visual evaluations in a rapid manner.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%