Abstract: Objective To investigate the feasibility of ultrasonic real-time tissue elastography (RTE) in evaluating acute toxic liver injury.Methods Fifty healthy rabbits were divided into a control group and a poisoning group. The poisoning group was intraperitoneally injected with organophosphate and the control group was treated with normal saline. Routine ultrasonography, RTE and blood sampling were performed pre-poisoning and at 4 h, 6 h, 8 h, 10 h after organophosphorus exposure. Meanwhile, rabbit liver tissues were taken for pathological examination. The same procedures were performed in the control group.Results At 8 hours and 10 hours after organophosphorus exposure, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and total bilirubin (TBIL) increased (P<0.05), the levels of ALT were (50.18 ± 19.38) and (76.53 ± 21.31), and the levels of TBil were (10.61 ± 2.79) and (11.09 ± 1.95), respectively. On the contrary, the levels of albumin (Alb) decreased, (36.75 ± 16.11) and (31.92 ± 13.89), respectively (P<0.05). At 6 hours, 8 hours and 10 hours after exposure, the liver elasticity score gradually increased when compared with the control group. At 10 hours after exposure, the elasticity score of the interested region ≥ 3 points. Based on the pathological diagnostic criteria, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of RTE in the diagnosis of hepatocyte injury were 95.83 %, 85.71% and 92.11%, respectively.Conclusion Ultrasound elastography may reflect the pathological changes of liver tissue in rabbits with acute organophosphorus poisoning, which include hepatocellular ballooning, steatosis and degeneration and necrosis.

Key words: Ultrasonic tissue elastography, Hepatocyte injury, Organophosphorus poisoning