Experimental Study of Renal Function Changes in Unilateral Hydronephrosis by Intravenous Injection of SonoVue

Objective To study the renal function changes after the rabbits right hydronephrosis by intravenous injecting ultrasound contrast agent and acquiring blood flow parameters of renal cortex.Giving clinical doctors a better method to evaluate and cure hydronephrosis.Methods Sixteen white rabbits were operated to make obstructive hydronephrosis models.New contrast agent,SonoVue,Technos DU6 and Comrast Tuned Imaging(CnTI) technique were adopted to acquire Peak Intensity Time (PIT)、Area Under the Curve (AUC) and Mean-transit time (MTT).Before and after operation at 2、4、6、8、10、12 weeks,ultrasound contrast agent were performed to observe renal cortex flow changes.Ureter obstruction of rabbits 2 and 7 were relieved at 10 and 12weeks,repeated the same method after a week.Rabbit 16、15、14、13 were killed at 4、8、10、12 weeks.Results Compared to those before operation,AUC and MTT of renal cortex after intravenous administration contrast agent were obviously decreased and PIT was increased (P0.05).There were no significant difference between 2 and 4 weeks.All the other groups had the statistic difference.Compared with 10 weeks,AUC and MTT of renal cortex after intravenous administration contrast agent of rabbit 2 which ureter obstruction was relieved at the 10th week were increased significantly and PIT was decreased.Compared with the 12th week by the same method,AUC、MTT and PIT of rabbit 7 had no changes. All the right kidneys were performed and compared with pathology.Conclusion The intravenous administration of SonoVue can be used for hydronephrosis by measuring time-intensity curve parameters such as AUC、MTT and PIT. While hydronephrosis is in progress,massive parenchymal lesion occurs in kidney if AUC is below 15.Ureter obstruction should be relieved before 12 weeks.After l2 weeks, the impairment of renal function may be completely irretrievable.