Assessment of hepatic function, perfusion and parenchyma attenuation with indocyanine green, ultrasound and computed tomography in a healthy rat model: Preliminary determination of baseline parameters in a healthy liver

Background Defining reference intervals in experimental animal models plays a crucial role in pre-clinical studies. The hepatic parameters in healthy animals provide useful information about type and extension of hepatic damage. However, in the majority of the cases, to obtain them require an invasive techniques. Our study combines these determinations with dynamic functional test and imaging techniques to implement a non-invasive protocol for liver evaluation. The aim of the study was to determine reference intervals for hepatic function, perfusion and parenchyma attenuation with analytical and biochemical blood parameters, indocyanine green, ultrasound and computed tomography in six healthy SD rats. Methods Six males healthy SD rats were followed for 4 weeks. To determine hepatic function, perfusion and parenchyma attenuation analytical and biochemical blood parameters, indocyanine green, ultrasound and computed tomography were studied. Results were expressed as Means ± standard error of mean (SEM). The significance of differences was calculated by using student t-test, p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Indocyanine green clearance 5 and 10 minutes after its injection was 80.12% and 96.59%, respectively. Approximate rate of decay during the first 5 minutes after injection was 38% per minute. Hepatic perfusion evaluation with the high-frequency ultrasound was related to cardiovascular hemodynamic and renal perfusion. Portal area, hepatic artery resistance index, hepatic artery and portal peak systolic velocity and average between hepatic artery and porta was 3.41 ± 0.62 mm², 0.57 ± 0.04 mm²/s, 693.24±102.53 mm²/s, 150.72 ± 17.80 mm²/s and 4.82 ± 0.96 mm²/s, respectively. Heart rate, cardiac output, left renal artery diammetre and renal blood flow were 331.01 ± 22.22 bpm, 75.58 ± 8.72 mL/min, 0.88 ± 0.04 mm² and 13.65 ± 1.95 mm²/s. CT-scan hepatic average volume for each rat were 21.08 ±3.32, 17.57±2.76, 14.87±2.83 and 13.67±2.45 cm³ with an average attenuation coefficient of 113.51±18.08, 129,19±7.18, 141,47±1.95 y 151,67±1.2 HU. Conclusion Indocyanine green and high-frequency ultrasound could be used in rats as a suitable marker of liver function. Computed tomography, through the study of raw data, help to characterize liver parenchyma, and could be a potential tool for early detection of liver parenchymal alterations and linear follow-up of patients. Further studies in rats with liver disease are necessary to verify the usefulness of these parameters.