An in vivo rat model simulating imaging of human kidney by diagnostic ultrasound with gas-body contrast agent.

One kidney of anesthetized rats was imaged by diagnostic ultrasound with contrast agent under conditions simulating both the geometry and the attenuation encountered during human perfusion imaging. Contrary to earlier predictions, glomerular capillary rupture with blood loss into Bowman's space and proximal tubules occurred in our clinically relevant model system. Quantitative analysis of histologic sections showed that 37 +/- 5% of the glomeruli at the center of the scan plane had blood cells in Bowman's space after imaging for 1 min with 1.8 MPa (mechanical index equivalent, MIe = 1.5) with a 1 s image trigger interval during IV injection of 10 microl/kg/min of Definity contrast agent (as recommended by the manufacturer). This percentage decreased rapidly with decreasing peak rarefactional pressure amplitude to an apparent threshold of 0.73 MPa (MIe = 0.6). The percentage of glomeruli with hemorrhage decreased in proportion to dose when reduced below the recommended value, but leveled-off at doses above it. The percentage of glomerular hemorrhage increased with increasing numbers of image exposures, with an initial rate of 1.1% per image. The glomerular hemorrhage also depended on the frame trigger interval with no hemorrhage evident for continuous imaging but a maximal effect for trigger intervals greater than about 1 s. These results indicated that there is a potential for clinical diagnostic ultrasound with contrast agent to induce glomerular hemorrhage.