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©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Hepatol. Oct 27, 2025; 17(10): 109517
Published online Oct 27, 2025. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v17.i10.109517
Published online Oct 27, 2025. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v17.i10.109517
Ultrasound imaging-guided protocol for monitoring tumor growth in orthotopic rat model of hepatocellular carcinoma
Aswathy R Devan, Lekshmi R Nath, Department of Pharmacognosy, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Science Campus, Ponekkara PO, Kochi 682041, Kerala, India
Sithara Manakkaparambil Sasidharan, Kannoth Panicker Sreekumar, Ayalur Kodakara Kochugovindan Unni, Ashok R Unni, Central Lab Animal Facility, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi 682041, Kerala, India
Sabitha Mangalathillam, Department of Pharmaceutics, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Science Campus, Kochi 682041, Kerala, India
Abna Ansar, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Amrita School of Pharmacy, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, AIMS Health Science Campus, Kochi 682041, Kerala, India
Co-first authors: Aswathy R Devan and Sithara Manakkaparambil Sasidharan.
Co-corresponding authors: Ashok R Unni and Lekshmi R Nath.
Author contributions: Nath LR and Unni AR contributed to conceptualization, design and methodology development, designated as co-corresponding authors; Unni AR, Sasidharan SM, Devan AR performed imaging analysis; Devan AR and Sasidharan SM contributed equally in data curation, data organization, writing of the original manuscript and designated as co-first authors; Nath LR performed funding acquisition, project administration and supervision; Nath LR and Unni AR contributed in reviewing and editing of the manuscript; Ansar A provided statistical expertise and contributed to data interpretation; Sreekumar KP, Unni AKK and Mangalathillam S performed formal analysis, review and editing; All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript. Devan AR performed the data collection, analysis and prepared the first draft of the manuscript. Sasidharan SM contributed in laparotomy surgery, histopathological evaluation and data analysis. Both authors made equal contribution towards the completion of the project and thus qualified as the co-first authors of the paper. Both Nath LR and Unni AR have played important roles in experimental design, methodology, data interpretation and manuscript preparation. Nath LR conceptualized, designed and supervised the whole process of the project. Nath LR applied for and obtained the funds for this research project. She reviewed and edited the manuscript and was responsible for submission of the article. Unni AR was instrumental in laparotomy procedures for tumor induction, ultrasound and micro-CT analysis. He contributed to the interpretation of imaging data and optimization of the tumor induction protocol. Both authors have made crucial and indispensable contributions towards the completion of the project and thus qualified as the co-corresponding authors of the paper.
Supported by Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Seed Grant, No. K-PHAR-24-722; and DST INSPIRE Fellowship, No. IF190226.
Institutional animal care and use committee statement: The experimental protocol was approved by the IAEC with reference number [IAEC/2023/1/10]. All animal procedures were performed in accordance with the guidelines set by Committee for the Control and Supervision of Animal Experiments (CCSEA) with the approval of the Institutional Animal Ethics Committee (IAEC) of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no competing interests.
ARRIVE guidelines statement: The authors have read the ARRIVE guidelines, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the ARRIVE guidelines.
Data sharing statement: The authors confirms that the data supporting the finding of this study are available within the manuscript.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Lekshmi R Nath, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Phar
Received: May 14, 2025
Revised: June 20, 2025
Accepted: September 25, 2025
Published online: October 27, 2025
Processing time: 167 Days and 1.3 Hours
Revised: June 20, 2025
Accepted: September 25, 2025
Published online: October 27, 2025
Processing time: 167 Days and 1.3 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Orthotopic rat tumor models are valuable for replicating human tumor microenvironments, yet tumor regression complicates consistent growth assessment, underscoring the need for reliable imaging modalities. While advanced techniques like magnetic resonance imaging and micro-computed tomography deliver high-resolution data, their expense, effects and demands limit routine implementation. We present an ultrasound (US) imaging protocol that achieves accuracy and sensitivity for regular tumor growth monitoring. Our results demonstrate US’s potential for early detection of orthotopic liver tumors and robust evaluation of antitumor drug efficacy, offering a cost-effective, accessible alternative strategy in preclinical research.