Zhang Jianhong, Croy B Anne
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Comp Med. 2009 Dec;59(6):527-33.
Ultrasound scanning is a noninvasive, accurate, and cost-effective method to create images of the female reproductive tract clinically and in research. Ultrasonography is particularly valuable for studying the dynamic relationships among mother, placenta, and fetus during pregnancy because this modality does not disturb the ongoing course of gestation. Importantly, the complex vascular changes in the mother induced by pregnancy and the vascular system generated to support placental function can be assessed quantitatively and functionally by ultrasonography. Many mouse models are available that address aspects of human placental function and dysfunction, but high-quality microultrasound technology suitable for use in pregnant mice has become widely available only recently. This technical advance now enables real-time recording of maternal-fetal interactions in pregnant rodents. The ability to perform microultrasonic analyses of parameters such as uterine arterial remodeling, hemodynamic changes, placental development, and fetal growth in mice now permits research that uses the same imaging platform as that for human patients. This capability will enhance the translation of information derived from rodent studies to the clinic.
超声扫描是一种无创、准确且经济高效的方法，可在临床和研究中生成女性生殖道的图像。超声检查对于研究孕期母亲、胎盘和胎儿之间的动态关系特别有价值，因为这种检查方式不会干扰正在进行的妊娠过程。重要的是，妊娠引起的母亲体内复杂的血管变化以及为支持胎盘功能而产生的血管系统可以通过超声检查进行定量和功能评估。有许多小鼠模型可用于研究人类胎盘功能和功能障碍的各个方面，但适用于怀孕小鼠的高质量微超声技术直到最近才广泛可用。这项技术进步现在能够实时记录怀孕啮齿动物的母婴相互作用。现在能够对小鼠的子宫动脉重塑、血流动力学变化、胎盘发育和胎儿生长等参数进行微超声分析，使得研究可以使用与人类患者相同的成像平台。这种能力将加强从啮齿动物研究中获得的信息向临床的转化。
