Ultrasound Assessment of Flow-Mediated Dilation of the Brachial and Superficial Femoral Arteries in Rats

Summary

Non-invasive assessment of endothelial function in humans can be determined by the flow-mediated dilation technique. Although thousands of studies have used this technique, no study has performed this technique non-invasively in rats. The following article describes non-invasive measurement of flow-mediated dilation in the brachial and superficial femoral arteries of rats.

Abstract

Arterial vasodilation to increases in wall shear rate is indicative of vascular endothelial function. In humans, the non-invasive measurement of endothelial function can be achieved by employing the flow-mediated dilation technique, typically performed in the brachial or superficial femoral artery. Briefly, a blood pressure cuff placed distal to an ultrasound probe is inflated to a suprasystolic pressure, which results in limb ischemia. After 5 min of occlusion the cuff is deflated, resulting in reactive hyperemia and increases in wall shear rate that signal vasodilatory molecules to be released from the endothelium eliciting vasodilation. Despite the thousands of studies performing flow-mediated dilation in humans, surprisingly, no studies have performed this technique non-invasively in living rats. Considering the recent shift in focus to translational research, the establishment of guidelines for non-invasive measurement of flow-mediated dilation in rats and other rodents would be extremely valuable. In the following article, a protocol is presented for the non-invasive measurement of flow-mediated dilation in brachial and superficial femoral arteries of rats, as those sites are most commonly measured in humans.

Introduction

The vascular endothelium is a cellular monolayer that lines the lumen of arteries and is an important regulator of vascular function. There are numerous molecules released from the endothelium that result in modulation of blood vessel diameter. Among these molecules, nitric oxide (NO), appears to be the primary vasodilatory molecule released from the vascular endothelium in response to stimulation (e.g., insulin, acetylcholine, or changes in shear stress)¹. In the vascular endothelium, NO is produced by the enzyme endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) and is subsequently released from endothelial cells². NO diffuses to the vascular smooth muscle where i....

Protocol

All animal procedures conformed to the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals¹⁴ and were approved by the University of Utah and Salt Lake City Veterans Affairs Medical Center Animal Care and Use.

1. Animal Preparation

1. Place animal in anesthesia induction chamber containing 3% isoflurane in 100% oxygen. Leave the animal in the induction chamber until it is unresponsive to external stimuli.
2. Remove the animal from the induction chamber and place it on a heated examination table equipped with electrocardiogram (ECG) electrodes. Maintain anesthesia at 3% isoflurane in 100% oxygen. Brachial and superfici....

Results

Flow-mediated dilation was performed on the brachial and superficial femoral artery of 8 Wistar rats. Positioning of a rat is shown in Figure 1.

Representative ultrasound images of the superficial femoral artery are shown in Figure 2.

Discussion

In the present study, a non-invasive measurement of FMD was demonstrated in the brachial and superficial femoral arteries of rats. Similar to humans⁶, following a 5 min occlusion period, there was a rapid increase in blood velocity (i.e., reactive hyperemia) thereby increasing shear rate on the arterial wall which resulted in the subsequent vasodilation of the artery. FMD was observed in both the brachial and superficial femoral arteries. Additionally, there was a strong relationship in FMD between arteries. A.......

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
Vevo 2100 High Resolution Micro-Ultrasound Imaging System	VisualSonics, Toronto, ON, CAN
MicroScan Ultra-High Frequency Linear Array Transducer - MS-700 30-70 MHz	VisualSonics, Toronto, ON, CAN
Vevo Imaging Station	VisualSonics, Toronto, ON, CAN
Thermasonic gel warmer	Parker Laboratories, Fairfield, NJ, USA	82-03	Optional
Signacreme electrode cream	Parker Laboratories, Fairfield, NJ, USA	17-05
Transpore surgical tape	3M, Maplewood, MN, USA	1527-1
Depilatory cream (e.g., Nair)	General supply
Cotton swabs	General supply
Ultrasound gel	General supply
Standard vascular occluder, 10 mm lumen diameter	Harvard Apparatus, Holliston, MA, USA	62-0115
10 ml syringe with Luer-Lok tip	General Supply		Used for occlusion cuff apparatus
Paperclip	General Supply		Used for occlusion cuff apparatus
Hypodermic needle – 18 gauge	General Supply		Used for occlusion cuff apparatus
Medium binder clip	General Supply		Used for occlusion cuff apparatus