LASER-DOPPLER PERFUSION IMAGING - NEW TECHNIQUE FOR DETERMINATION OF PERFUSION AND REPERFUSION OF SPLANCHNIC ORGANS AND TUMOR-TISSUE

Background and Objective: Several investigations indicated that laser Doppler flowmetry on the liver surface reflects relative changes of th e total liver blood flow. In this study, Laser Doppler Perfusion Imagi ng (LDI), monitoring the surface only, was used for measurements of ti ssue perfusion of normal and/or impaired liver, pancreas, spleen, stom ach and intestine, and the blood flow of hepatic tumors in rats. Study Design/Materials and Methods: Eighty Wistar/Furth rats were divided i nto five groups. Group I served as controls. Groups II and III underwe nt ischemic injury of the liver and intestine with or without the admi nistration of WEB2170, a platelet-activating factor receptor antagonis t. Laser-induced photodynamic therapy (PDT) utilizing delta-amino levu linic acid sensitization was performed in Groups IV and V. Results: No rmal pancreas and intestine had a high LDI perfusion value and the liv er and stomach exhibited a medium perfusion value whereas the perfusio n value from the spleen was low. WEB 2170 improved the reperfusion of the postischemic liver and intestine. An immediate decrease in surface blood flow of hepatic tissue treated by laser-induced PDT and a decre ased blood flow in large tumors were observed. Conclusion: LDI is a us eful technique for the measurement of tissue perfusion of various spla nchnic organs or tumor tissues. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.