Quantification of the microvascular blood flow of the ovine corpus luteum with contrast ultrasound

The ovine corpus luteum is an ideal model for the development of methodologies for angiogenesis monitoring with contrast enhanced ultrasound. We employ three indicator dilution models, namely, the lognormal function, the gamma variate function, and the local density random walk model to fit contrast ultrasound time-intensity curves from ovine corpora lutea at the peak of the estrus cycle. We extract hemodynamic-related parameters such as the mean transit time, the wash-in time, the area under the curve and the peak intensity and measure inter- and intra-animal reproducibility. The mean transit time and the wash-in time are reproducible with acceptable relative dispersions whereas the peak intensity and the area under the curve have large variabilities.