A novel method for establishing a mouse model of hepatic echinococcosis: Ultrasound-guided percutaneous liver puncture modeling.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Research on hepatic echinococcosis relies on stable, reproducible animal models. Traditional open-laparotomy modeling presents issues such as significant trauma and poor consistency. OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided percutaneous liver puncture inoculation versus traditional open-laparotomy in establishing a hepatic echinococcosis model in C57BL/6 mice. METHODS: Alveolar echinococcus (AE) cystic larvae or cystic echinococcus (CE) scolices were implanted into mouse livers using ultrasound-guided percutaneous liver puncture inoculation and traditional open surgery, respectively. Postoperative dynamic ultrasound monitoring, histopathology, and immunofluorescence staining were employed for systematic evaluation. RESULTS: The survival rate in the ultrasound-guided group reached 100% (30/30), significantly higher than the 80% (24/30) in the surgical group, representing a difference of 20 percentage points (95% CI: 5.7% to 34.3%; p = 0.039). The complication rate was only 6.7% (2/30) in the ultrasound-guided group, compared to 20% (6/30) in the surgical group, with a difference of -13.3 percentage points (95% CI: -30.2% to 3.6%; p = 0.133). Ultrasound-guided modeling achieved a 100% success rate, with more uniform lesion growth and accelerated progression. Histopathology revealed more typical fibrosis and immune microenvironment characteristics. CONCLUSION: Ultrasound-guided percutaneous liver biopsy offers advantages including short procedure duration, minimal trauma, and high model consistency. It significantly enhances modeling efficiency while reducing surgical interference, providing a more reliable animal model platform for hepatic echinococcosis research.