Feasibility of transabdominal Doppler ultrasonography for studying ovarian blood flow characteristics in cycling gilts

Abstract

Objective The aim of this study was to assess ovarian blood flow characteristics by applying transabdominal color Doppler ultrasonography during the course of the estrous cycle in gilts.

Materials and methods Estrus and ovulation were synchronized in 15 pubertal gilts. During their consecutive spontaneous estrous cycle the gilts were sonographically scanned daily and ovarian blood flow was determined by imaging perfused areas of the ovarian hilus and the ovarian tissue. Recorded video clips were then analyzed for the parameters perfused area (Amix), blood flow velocity (vmix) as well as resistance (RIvmix) and pulsatility index (PIvmix) using the software PixelFlux^®.

Results All blood flow parameters showed an estrous cycle dependent course, with Amix and vmix being highest in diestrus, followed by proestrus, while RIvmix and PIvmix patterns were inversely proportional.

Conclusion and clinical relevance Transabdominal color Doppler ultrasonography proved feasible to study ovarian perfusion characteristics in pubertal gilts. The ovarian blood flow was dependent on the stage of estrous cycle and highest in diestrus. The results of this study encourage the use of color Doppler ultrasonography to also investigate reasons of ovary-caused infertility including corpus luteum insufficiency or seasonal effects on ovary function.

Zusammenfassung

Ziel Die Arbeit hatte zum Ziel, den ovariellen Blutfluss von Jungsauen während des Sexualzyklus mittels transabdominaler Color-Doppler-Ultrasonografie zu charakterisieren.

Material und Methode Bei 15 Jungsauen wurden Brunst sowie Ovulation synchronisiert. Im darauffolgenden spontanen Zyklus wurden die Tiere täglich sonografisch untersucht und perfundierte Areale im Bereich des Ovarhilus und Ovargewebes dargestellt, um den Blutfluss zu charakterisieren. Die Ermittlung des ovariellen Blutflusses erfolgte durch Analyse aufgezeichneter Videosequenzen mit der Software PixelFlux^® und Bestimmung der Parameter perfundierte Fläche (Amix), Blutflussgeschwindigkeit (vmix) sowie Resistenz- (RIvmix) und Pulsatilitätsindex (PIvmix).

Ergebnisse Alle Blutflussparameter zeigten einen zyklusabhängigen Verlauf. Amix und vmix waren im Diöstrus am höchsten, gefolgt vom Proöstrus, während sich RIvmix und PIvmix umgekehrt proportional verhielten.

Schlussfolgerung und klinische Relevanz Die transabdominale Color-Doppler-Ultrasonografie erwies sich als geeignet, um die Durchblutung der Ovarien von in einem Stand immobilisierten Jungsauen zu untersuchen. Der ovarielle Blutfluss war abhängig von der Phase des Sexualzyklus und am höchsten im Diöstrus. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit ermutigen, die Color-Doppler-Ultrasonografie zur Untersuchung von Ursachen ovarbedingter Fruchtbarkeitsstörungen wie Gelbkörperinsuffizienz oder saisonaler Effekte auf die Funktion des Ovars zu nutzen.

Key words

Gilts - estrous cycle - ovarian perfusion - color Doppler ultrasonography

Schlüsselwörter

Jungsauen - Sexualzyklus - Ovarperfusion - Color-Doppler-Ultrasonografie

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