Tsujimoto Tatsuhiro, Kawaratani Hideto, Kitazawa Toshiyuki, Hirai Toshiko, Ohishi Hajime, Kitade Mitsuteru, Yoshiji Hitoshi, Uemura Masahito, Fukui Hiroshi
Third Department of Internal Medicine, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijo-cho, Kashihara, Nara 634-8522, Japan.
World J Gastroenterol. 2008 Oct 21;14(39):6036-43. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.6036.
To investigate Kupffer cell dynamics and phagocytic activity, using a rat nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) model.
Male F344 rats were fed either a control diet or a choline-deficient L-amino acid-defined (CDAA) diet, followed by contrast enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) using Levovist. The uptake of latex beads by the Kupffer cells was determined by fluorescent microscopy. The status of the Kupffer cells was compared between the two groups, using the immunohistochemical staining technique.
After 4 or more wk of the CDAA diet, CEUS examination revealed a decrease in the signal intensity, 20 min after intravenous Levovist. Fluorescent microscopic examination showed that the uptake of latex beads by the Kupffer cells was reduced at week 1 and 2 in the study group, compared with the controls, with no further reduction after 3 wk. Immunohistochemical staining revealed no significant difference in the Kupffer cell counts between the control group and the CDAA group.
CEUS examination using Levovist demonstrated reduced contrast effect and phagocytic activity in the liver parenchymal phase, although the Kupffer cell numbers were unchanged, indicating reduced phagocytic function of the Kupffer cells in the rat NASH model. We believe that CEUS examination using Levovist is a useful screening modality, which can detect NASH in fatty liver patients.
使用大鼠非酒精性脂肪性肝炎（NASH）模型研究库普弗细胞动力学和吞噬活性。
雄性F344大鼠分别喂食对照饮食或胆碱缺乏的L-氨基酸限定（CDAA）饮食，随后使用声诺维进行超声造影（CEUS）。通过荧光显微镜确定库普弗细胞对乳胶珠的摄取。使用免疫组织化学染色技术比较两组库普弗细胞的状态。
CDAA饮食4周或更长时间后，CEUS检查显示静脉注射声诺维20分钟后信号强度降低。荧光显微镜检查显示，与对照组相比，研究组第1周和第2周库普弗细胞对乳胶珠的摄取减少，3周后无进一步减少。免疫组织化学染色显示对照组和CDAA组之间库普弗细胞计数无显著差异。
使用声诺维进行CEUS检查显示肝实质期造影效果和吞噬活性降低，尽管库普弗细胞数量未变，表明大鼠NASH模型中库普弗细胞的吞噬功能降低。我们认为使用声诺维进行CEUS检查是一种有用的筛查方式，可检测脂肪肝患者的NASH。
