• Color Doppler ultrasonography
• Hepatic vein
• Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD)
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFLD)
• Portal vein
• Splenic vein

• ATI
• NAFLD
• liver steatosis
• steatosis quantification
• ultrasound attenuation imaging

Fatty liver (FL) is now a worldwide disease. For decades, researchers have been kept trying to elucidate the mechanism of FL at the molecular level, but rarely involve the study of morphology and medical physics. Traditionally, it was believed that hemodynamic changes occur only when fibrosis occurs, but it has been proved that these changes already show in steatosis stage, which may help to reveal the pathogenesis and its progress. Because the pseudolobules are not formed during the steatosis stage, this phenomenon may be caused by the compression of the liver microcirculation and changes in the hemodynamics.

To understand the pathogenesis of hepatic steatosis and to study the hemodynamic changes associated with hepatic steatosis.

Eight-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were divided into three groups randomly (control group, 2-wk group, and 4-wk group), with 16 mice per group. A hepatic steatosis model was established by subcutaneous injection of carbon tetrachloride in mice. After establishing the model, liver tissue from mice was stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE), and oil red O stains. Blood was collected from the angular vein, and hemorheological parameters were estimated. A two-photon fluorescence microscope was used to examine the flow properties of red blood cells in the hepatic sinusoids.

Oil red O staining indicated lipid accumulation in the liver after CCl₄ treatment. HE staining indicated narrowing of the hepatic sinusoidal vessels. No significant difference was observed between the 2-wk and 4-wk groups of mice on morphological examination. Hemorheological tests included whole blood viscosity (mPas, γ = 10 s-¹/γ = 100 s^-1) (8.83 ± 2.22/4.69 ± 1.16, 7.73 ± 2.46/4.22 ± 1.32, and 8.06 ± 2.88/4.22 ± 1.50), red blood cell volume (%) (51.00 ± 4.00, 42.00 ± 5.00, and 40.00 ± 3.00), the content of plasma fibrinase (g/L) (3.80 ± 0.50, 2.90 ± 0.80, and 2.30 ± 0.70), erythrocyte deformation index (%) (44.49 ± 5.81, 48.00 ± 15.29, and 44.36 ± 15.01), erythrocyte electrophoresis rate (mm/s per V/m) (0.55 ± 0.11, 0.50 ± 0.11, and 0.60 ± 0.20), revealing pathological changes in plasma components and red blood cells of hepatic steatosis. Assessment of blood flow velocity in the hepatic sinusoids with a laser Doppler flowmeter (mL/min per 100 g) (94.43 ± 14.64, 80.00 ± 12.12, and 67.26 ± 5.92) and two-photon laser scanning microscope (μm/s) (325.68 ± 112.66, 213.53 ± 65.33, and 173.26 ± 44.02) revealed that as the modeling time increased, the blood flow velocity in the hepatic sinusoids decreased gradually, and the diameter of the hepatic sinusoids became smaller (μm) (10.28 ± 1.40, 6.84 ± 0.93, and 5.82 ± 0.79).

The inner diameter of the hepatic sinusoids decreases along with the decrease in the blood flow velocity within the sinusoids and the changes in the systemic hemorheology.

• Hepatic steatosis
• Hemodynamics
• Hepatic sinusoids
• Two-photon fluorescence microscopy
• Carbon tetrachloride

• Animals
• Blood Flow Velocity/physiology
• Capillaries/diagnostic imaging
• Capillaries/physiopathology
• Carbon Tetrachloride/toxicity
• Disease Models, Animal
• Fatty Liver/chemically induced
• Fatty Liver/diagnostic imaging
• Fatty Liver/physiopathology
• Humans
• Imaging, Three-Dimensional/methods
• Laser-Doppler Flowmetry
• Liver/blood supply
• Liver/diagnostic imaging
• Male
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Microcirculation/physiology
• Microscopy, Confocal

• Color Doppler
• fibroScan
• nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
• sonography

Hepatic circulatory disturbances have been associated with obesity and fatty liver in humans. In the veterinary literature, however, there is limited information regarding the effects of different body condition scores (BCS) on liver hemodynamic indices in dogs.

To investigate the influence of BCS on liver hemodynamic indices.

Fifty‐three client‐owned dogs of various breeds were included.

Prospective observational study. Dogs were divided into 3 BCS groups using a 5‐point scale: G1 – 12 ideal dogs, G2 – 21 overweight dogs, G3 – 20 obese dogs. Mean portal velocity (MPV), portal blood flow volume (PBFV), portal congestion index (PCI), hepatic artery resistivity index (HARI), and hepatic vein (HV) spectral wave were obtained by pulsed Doppler sonography. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma‐glutamyl transferase (GGT), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities were determined. Liver enzymes activities and liver hemodynamic indices were compared among groups.

Obese dogs had lower MPV, higher percentage of abnormal hepatic vein spectral wave and higher median ALP activity than did ideal dogs (P < 0.05). Overweight and obese dogs had lower PBFV than ideal dogs (P < 0.01). Overweight dogs had higher median GGT activity than ideal dogs (P < 0.05). No difference was observed for PCI, HARI and median ALT activity among the groups.

Obesity was associated with changes in portal vein indices and in HV spectral wave. These changes were accompanied by significant differences in some liver enzymes activities and could be a sign of early liver disease.

• Canine
• Doppler
• Hepatic disease
• Obesity

• Hepatic artery resistivity index
• Portal doppler
• Portal vein pulsality index

• Color Doppler
• Hepatic artery resistive index
• NAFLD fibrosis score
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis
• Ultrasound

• Fatty liver
• Insulin resistance
• Liver enzymes
• Ultrasonography

The hemodynamic changes in hepatic vascular structures of hepatosteatosis patients were examined using Doppler ultrasonography.

Ninety hepatosteatosis patients, classified as mild, moderate or severe, and 30 healthy volunteers were included in this 120-person study. The height, weight, liver size, blood lipids and blood liver function tests of the subjects were measured. Those values were compared in the patient and control groups. In the patient and control groups, color duplex Doppler ultrasonography was used to examine portal vein peak velocity, portal vein flow volume, hepatic artery resistive index (RI), hepatic artery pulsatility index (PI) and hepatic artery flow volume.

Similarly to the degree of hepatosteatosis, increases in body mass index, liver size, liver enzyme levels and blood lipid levels were statistically significant (p<0.05). While the difference in portal vein peak velocity in the hepatosteatosis and control groups was not statistically significant, there was an increasing reduction in the degree of steatosis (p>0.05). As the degree of hepatosteatosis increased, there was a reduction in hepatic artery flow volume, portal vein flow volume and total flow volume that was not statistically significant. In the mild hepatosteatosis group, hepatic artery RI and PI values were statistically significantly lower than in the other groups (p<0.05). In the severe hepatosteatosis group, although the hepatic artery RI and PI values were not statistically significant, there was a minimal increase compared to the other groups.

It is believed that those results were caused by a reduction in liver compliance and hepatic vascular compliance, in addition to resistance increase in vascular structures.

• Color
• Doppler
• Hepatic Artery
• Portal Vein
• Ultrasonography