Ultrasonography detects early laryngeal muscle atrophy in an equine neurectomy model.
Abstract: A unilateral neurectomy model was used to study the relationship between histologic and ultrasonographic tissue characteristics during muscle atrophy over time. Methods: This investigation was an in vivo experimental study in an equine model (n = 28). Mean pixel intensity of ultrasonographic images was measured, a muscle appearance grade was assigned weekly, and muscles were harvested from 4 to 32 weeks. Minimum fiber diameter, fiber density per unit area, percent collagen, percent fat, and fiber type profile were measured from muscle cryosections and correlated with the ultrasonographic parameters. Results: A significant relationship was identified between collagen content, minimum fiber diameter, and ultrasonographic muscle appearance by as early as 8 weeks. There was no apparent association between fat content of muscle and the ultrasonographic appearance of atrophy before 28 weeks. Conclusions: Early muscle atrophy before fatty infiltration is detectable with ultrasound. The effect of muscle collagen content on echointensity may be mediated by reduced fiber diameter.
© 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Publication Date: 2015-08-01 PubMed ID: 26227954DOI: 10.1002/mus.24785Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The researchers used a unilateral neurectomy model to explore how ultrasonography can reveal early muscle atrophy in horses, particularly in relation to its ability to identify changes in tissue composition.
Study Design and Methods
- The team conducted an in vivo experimental study using an equine model with 28 subjects.
- They performed a unilateral neurectomy, a surgical procedure where one side of a nerve is removed. This induces muscle atrophy, or breakdown of muscle tissue.
- Ultrasonographic imaging was used to track the progression of muscle atrophy. Changes were monitored both visually and by measuring the mean pixel intensity of the images.
- The researchers also assigned a muscle appearance grade weekly and harvested muscles from the horses at various intervals between 4 to 32 weeks.
Measurements and Correlations
- The team analyzed the harvested muscle tissue to measure parameters such as minimum fiber diameter, fiber density per unit area, the proportion of collagen and fat, and the profile of muscle fiber types.
- These parameters were then correlated with ultrasonographic features to investigate the relationship between histological and ultrasonographic characteristics, with a particular focus on the progression of muscle atrophy.
Results of the Study
- A significant correlation was found between the collagen content of the muscle, minimum fiber diameter, and ultrasonographic appearance of muscles as early as 8 weeks after the neurectomy.
- On the contrary, there seemed to be no correlation between the fat content of the muscle and the ultrasonographic appearance of muscle atrophy until 28 weeks into the study.
Study Conclusions
- The findings suggest that ultrasonography can detect early muscle atrophy before fatty infiltration becomes apparent.
- The researchers speculate that the influence of muscle collagen content on the echointensity observed in ultrasonography might be due to a reduction in fiber diameter.
The study underscores the potential of ultrasonography as a diagnostic tool for identifying early muscle atrophy, which has significant implications for the management of conditions that lead to muscle degradation in veterinary medicine.
Cite This Article
APA
Chalmers HJ, Caswell J, Perkins J, Goodwin D, Viel L, Ducharme NG, Piercy RJ.
(2015).
Ultrasonography detects early laryngeal muscle atrophy in an equine neurectomy model.
Muscle Nerve, 53(4), 583-592.
https://doi.org/10.1002/mus.24785 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, N1G 2W1, Canada.
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Services, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, UK.
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Services, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, UK.
- Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, N1G 2W1, Canada.
- Department of Clinical Sciences, New York State College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Services, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, London, UK.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Female
- Horses
- Laryngeal Muscles / diagnostic imaging
- Laryngeal Muscles / pathology
- Male
- Models, Animal
- Muscular Atrophy / diagnostic imaging
- Muscular Atrophy / pathology
- Ultrasonography
Citations
This article has been cited 1 times.- de Meeûs d'Argenteuil C, Boshuizen B, Vidal Moreno de Vega C, Leybaert L, de Maré L, Goethals K, De Spiegelaere W, Oosterlinck M, Delesalle C. Comparison of Shifts in Skeletal Muscle Plasticity Parameters in Horses in Three Different Muscles, in Answer to 8 Weeks of Harness Training. Front Vet Sci 2021;8:718866.
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