Using Image-Pro Plus combined with Photoshop image analysis software for quantitative measurement of changes in hippocampus microcirculation / 中国中西医结合急救杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate a new method using Image-Pro Plus (IPP) combined with Photoshop image analysis software to quantitatively measure the changes in microcirculation in hippocampus.Methods Twenty-two Japanese white rabbits that had received bilateral carotid artery ligation for 2 weeks without neurological dysfunction were divided into a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) group and a control group, 11 rabbits in each group. The rabbit model of symptomatic cerebral vasospasm was established by the method of twice injecting blood into occipital cistern. On the 7th day after the first time of injecting blood, the rabbits were sacrificed, cerebral perfusion fixation was carried out, the hippocampus was harvested, and CD34 was determined by immunohistochemical determination. IPP 6.0 combined with Photoshop image analysis software was used to quantitatively measure the count of hippocampal microvessels density (MVD) and the field (for statistics)/microvascular capillary area ratio was calculated.Results CD34 could effectively identify microvascular endothelial cells, and using IPP 6.0 could automatically and accurately calculate MVD and field (for statistics)/micrevascular area ratio in hippocampus. Compared with the control group, in SAH group, the MVD and the area ratio in hippocampus were significantly reduced, the differences being statistically significant [MVD (count/area) 3.87±0.67 vs. 5.17±0.53, area ratio (0.86±0.20)% vs. (1.40±0.17)%, bothP < 0.05].Conclusions CD34 can be used to identify microvessels, IPP 6.0 image analysis software co-Photoshop is a high efficient and accurate new method to measure the microvessels count and calculate the field/microvessel area ratio, not only it is easy to operate, but also the data can be automatically calculated and generated, reflecting precisely the changes in microcirculation in hippocampus after symptomatic cerebral vasospasm in rabbits.