Longitudinal characterization of local perfusion of the rat placenta using contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging.

ABSTRACT: The placenta performs many physiological functions critical for development. Insufficient placental perfusion, due to improper vascular remodelling, has been linked to many pregnancy-related diseases. To study longitudinal in vivo placental perfusion, we have implemented a pixel-wise time-intensity curve (TIC) analysis of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) images. CEUS images were acquired of pregnant Sprague Dawley rats after bolus injections of gas-filled microbubble contrast agents. Conventionally, perfusion can be quantified using a TIC of contrast enhancement in an averaged region of interest. However, the placenta has a complex structure and flow profile, which is insufficiently described using the conventional technique. In this work, we apply curve fitting in each pixel of the CEU

SUBMITTER: Lawrence DJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6710660 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature