ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the application value of ultra -high frequency ultrasound in detection of femoral artery stenosis in rabbits.Methods Twenty-four healthy male New Zealand white rabbits (body weight 2.5 -3.0 kg) were randomly divided into three groups , 8 rabbits in each group.Preparation of femoral atherosclerosis model : the rabbits were fed with high fat diet for 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks after femoral artery balloon injury , respectively.The changes of cholesterol level were observed .We used ultra-high frequency ultrasonic probe to observe the femoral artery , to assess the diameter stenosis rate and peak systolic velocity (SPV) at the symptomatic side, and the histological areal stenosis was evaluated.Results 1.The blood cholesterol levels were increased after fed high cholesterol diet , with a significant difference among the groups (P <0.001); 2.There was a stenosis to a different degree in the modeling artery after fed high cholesterol diet for 4 wks, 8 wks, and 12 wks, and the stenosis degree was increased gradually .At 12 w, the degree of stenosis was higher than that at 4 w and 8 w, respectively, showing statistical significance ( P <0.001).At the symptomatic side, the peak systolic flow velocity was increased , and it was higher at 12 w than that at 4w and 8 w, respectively.3.With the extension of time, the arterial stenosis rate was increased along with the time course (P <0.05). Conclusions 1.High fat diet combined with balloon injury can cause varying degrees of rabbit femoral artery stenosis ; 2. Ultrahigh frequency ultrasound can clearly show different degrees of rabbit femoral artery stenosis , and can be used for detecting the lesions in animal models of peripheral vascular diseases .
ABSTRACT
This report presented a case of disseminated infection with nocardia in lupus erythematosus (SLE) and reviewed the current literature. Nocardiosis was a rare, sometimes life-threatening opportunistic infection in SLE patients. The isolation and identification of pathogen was fundamental for the diagnosis of nocardiosis. Sulfonamides were traditionally the agent of choice for treatment of nocardiosis; while it must be given for several months even more than one year, particularly in patients with suppressed immune function. Issues regarding the drug resistance and the toxicity of sulfonamides in long-term therapy needed to be considered. Linezolid could be an effective agent for the treatment of nocardiosis, whether it could reduce the treatment course need to be further studied.
ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the value of the ultrasound contrast agent in conjunction with advanced contrast imaging techniques in the evaluation of the renal cortical perfusion. Methods The animal model was established with ligating renal artery to cause the renal cortical perfusion decrease of rabbits. Real-time harmonic gray scale imaging was performed to visualize the contrast enhancement of the renal cortex. After bolus injection of contrast agent SonoVue, dynamic image was observed and recorded during the first three minutes. According to the time-intensity curve (TIC), accelerating time (AT),Peak intensity (A), time to half of peak intensity (T), difference between peak and base (PBD), slope rate of the curve (β) and the product of A and β (A·β) were obtained before and after the renal artery operation. The t test and correlation analysis was used to examine the above parameters. Results Before the renal artery operation, renal cortex enhanced rapidly and obviously, the way of the enhancement was renal artery-cortex-pyramids. After ligation of renal artery, AT prolonged evidently (P<0.001), A decreased obviously (P<0.001), T obviously shortened (P<0.001), PBD decreased markedly (P<0.001), while the decline of βinduced (P<0.002) and A·βobvious dropped(P<0.001). AT, BPD and A·βcorrelated with stenosis level of renal artery. Compared with 31%－69% group, AT prolonged evidently (P<0.001). A decreased obviously (P<0.029), PBD decreased obviously (P<0.001), A·β was dropped markedly (P<0.02) in 70%-93% stenosis group. Conclusions Contrast agent combining with developed contrast specific imaging is able to detect changes of renal cortical microcirculation sensitively with the help of analysis of TIC.