ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the relationship between adiponectin combined with the ultrasound blood flow index of the umbilical artery and perinatal outcome in women with severe preeclampsia. Methods Placental tissues were obtained from normal term pregnancies (control group, n=50) and severe preeclampsia patients (PE group, n=50) in Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from February 2014 to October 2014. The expression of adiponectin was examined using immunohistochemical methods and real-time polymerase chain reaction. The umbilical artery was measured by color Doppler, and the umbilical artery systolic/diastolic ratio (UA-S/D), umbilical artery resistance index (UA-RI) and umbilical artery pulsatility index (UA-PI) were determined. The relationship between the expression of adiponectin in placental tissues, UA-S/D and perinatal outcome were analyzed. The data were analyzed using two dependent-sample t test, the log-rank test and Spearman correlation analysis. Results Compared with the control group, infants in the PE group had lower birth weight and placental weight, shorter height, and greater umbilical artery indices including UA-S/D, UA-RI and UA-PI (all P<0.05). The expression of adiponectin and its mRNA in placentae of the PE group was significantly higher than that of the control group (adiponectin: 0.326±0.011 vs. 0.116±0.011, t=99.144, P=0.000;mRNA:4.18±1.80 vs. 1.00±0.51, t=11.985, P=0.000). UA-S/D had a negative correlation with birth weight, onset gestational age and gestational age at birth (r= - 0.897, - 0.469 and - 0.524, all P<0.01). The expression of adiponectin mRNA had a negative correlation with birth weight, onset gestational age, and gestational age at birth (r=-0.580,-0.407 and-0.449, all P<0.01). The expression level of adiponectin had positive correlations with body mass index of the mothers and the UA-S/D (r=0.261 and 0.788, both P<0.01). Conclusions The expression of adiponectin in placental tissues and blood flow index of the umbilical artery both increase in severe preeclampsia, and are associated with poor perinatal outcome.
ABSTRACT
Objective To establish the method and cardiovascular imaging in mice using ultrasound biomicroscopy(UBM) with anatomical confirmation by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and to evaluate the feasibility and value of UBM in mice cardiovascular imaging.Methods The mouse thoracic anatomy was elucidated using Signo 3.0T MR imaging on 2 healthy C57BL/6 adult male mice.The structures and flow of mice heart and great vessels in 16 healthy C57BL/6 adult male mice were showed and analyzed by Visualsonics Vevo 770 UBM through several acoustic windows, including left parasternal, right parasternal, apical regions, and suprasternalis.The systolic and diastolic function of mice heart were also evaluated.ResultsAnatomic characteristic of mice could be displayed by MR imaging.The heart was mostly located in left thoracic cavity.The angle between long axis of the heart and the midline of the chest was about 45 degrees.Left atrium,left ventricle, mitral valve and right ventricle were located on the left side of the midline of the chest.Aortic valve orifice, ascending aorta,right atrium and tricuspid valve were located on the right side of the midline of the chest.Left heart long axis view,left ventricular short axis view,ascending aorta long axis view,long axis view of aortic arch, aortic short axis view, right ventricular inflow tract long axis view, pulmonary artery long axis view and so on were obtained clearly using UBM.The structures of heart and great vessels were displayed and the cardiovascular parameters could be measured accurately,including left atrium,left ventricle,aorta and aortic arch,interventricular septum,right atrium, right ventricle, pulmonary artery, innominate artery, right internal carotid artery and the velocity in each valve orifices from Doppler flow spectrum.No significant difference was found in the measurements between different age groups.Conclusions The cardiovascular structures and hemodynamics could be displayed by UBM in mice when appropriate acoustic windows and sections were selected.This novel imaging protocol provides us a non-invasive way to follow atherosclerosis in genes knockout mice.