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Elucidation of spleen elasticity and viscosity in a carbon tetrachloride rat model of liver cirrhosis using a new ultrasound elastography

  • Original Article–Gastroenterology
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

Measurement of spleen stiffness (SS) using ultrasound (US) elastography is useful for predicting portal hypertension. However, the mechanism leading to increased SS remains unclear. We jointly developed a new US elastography system (Aplio i-series, Canon Medical Systems) that can easily measure organ viscosity (dispersion slope: DS). We analyzed the cause of increased SS by calculating the shear wave speed (SWs, which reflects fibrosis) and DS of the spleen in carbon tetrachloride (CCL4) rat liver cirrhosis models.

Methods

A total of 13 Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups (C group: 3 rats as control, 2D group: 3 rats injected with CCL4 twice in 1 week, 4D group: 4 rats injected 4 times in 1 week, 6W group: 3 rats injected twice a week for 6 weeks). The SWs and the DS of each group were calculated, and histopathological analysis was performed.

Results

The spleen SWs of the 6W group was significantly higher than that of the C group (p = 0.044). The spleen DS did not change after CCL4. The liver SWs of the 4D and 6W groups was significantly higher than that of the C group (p = 0.012 and 0.007, respectively) with fibrosis change on histopathology, and the DS of the 4D group was significantly higher than that of the C group (p = 0.033). Splenic fibrosis was confirmed in the 6W group, but inflammation and necrosis were not seen.

Conclusion

SS increased due to fibrosis and can be predicted based on SWs and DS values.

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Abbreviations

SS:

Spleen stiffness

US:

Ultrasound

LS:

Liver stiffness

SWs:

Shear wave speed

DS:

Dispersion slope

CCL4 :

Carbon tetrachloride

NASH:

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the editors in the Department of International Medical Communications at Tokyo Medical University for editorial review of the English manuscript.

Funding

This study was partly supported by a Health and Labour Sciences Research Grant from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (17K09441).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0023, Japan

    Yoshihiro Furuichi, Katsutoshi Sugimoto, Masakazu Abe, Hirohito Takeuchi, Yuu Yoshimasu & Takao Itoi

  2. Department of Gastroenterology, Niiza Shiki Central General Hospital, Saitama, Japan

    Yoshihiro Furuichi

  3. Department of Pathology, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan

    Hisashi Oshiro

Authors
  1. Yoshihiro Furuichi
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  2. Katsutoshi Sugimoto
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  3. Hisashi Oshiro
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  4. Masakazu Abe
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  5. Hirohito Takeuchi
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  6. Yuu Yoshimasu
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  7. Takao Itoi
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Contributions

YF, (Drafting of the manuscript, Performance of ultrasound), KS (Study design, Performance of ultrasound), HO (Pathological examination), MA, (Injection of CCL4), HT, (Injection of CCL4, Sacrifice of rats, Creating slides), YY, (Injection of CCL4, Sacrifice of rats), TI (Study concept).

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yoshihiro Furuichi.

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Conflict of interest

We have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical statements

This study protocol was approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee of Tokyo Medical University, and the rats were cared for according to the guidelines.

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Furuichi, Y., Sugimoto, K., Oshiro, H. et al. Elucidation of spleen elasticity and viscosity in a carbon tetrachloride rat model of liver cirrhosis using a new ultrasound elastography. J Med Ultrasonics 48, 431–437 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-021-01110-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-021-01110-5

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