Abstract:Objective To explore the value of ultrasound in the quantitative assessment of renal artery hemodynamic parameters in rabbits exposed to acute cold. Methods 4 time periods in order were set in 18 rabbits: ①T1: blank control. The ambient temperature was room temperature. ②T2: acute cold exposure. The abdomen and limbs of the rabbits were immersed in a 4 cm deep ice-water mixture and placed in a cooler at an ambient temperature of 0℃. ③T3: First rewarming. The rabbit was placed in a constant temperature table at 32℃, and an electric heater was continuously irradiated to the target body temperature. ④T4: the second rewarming to the basal body temperature. The rabbits were divided into rewarming success group and failure group according to the outcome after acute cold exposure. Body temperature, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, renal function, PSV of right renal segmental artery, PSV of right renal artery trunk, time-averaged mean flow velocity (TAMEAN), diameter and VolFlow were measured at each time period, and the differences of each parameter were compared between and within groups, and the correlation between serum creatinine and ultrasound hemodynamic parameters was analyzed. Results There were 13 rabbits in the rewarming success group and 5 rabbits in the rewarming failure group. After acute cold exposure, the rabbits' body temperature decreased from 39.25±0.57°C to 26.68±1.77°C, heart rate decreased from 298.54±29.37 beats/min to 130.08±27.05 beats/min, mean arterial pressure decreased from 69.11±5.42 mmHg to 56.86±9.15 mmHg, CREA increased from 91.53±12.52μ mol/L to 120.60±28.08μmol/L, and the difference between the two time periods was statistically significant (all P<0.05). At the time period of T2 compared with T1 and T3 compared with T2, the differences between right renal segmental artery, renal artery trunk PSV, TAMEAN, VolFlow in the rewarming success group were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The difference between T3 compared with T2 and T1 time period for each parameter in the rewarming failure group was not statistically significant (all P>0.05). The differences between the two groups were statistically significant when the renal artery trunk PSV and TAMEAN were compared at the T3 time period (P=0.005, 0.043), and the differences between the right renal artery trunk diameter and VolFlow were statistically significant when compared at the T2 and T3 time periods (both P<0.05).?Renal artery trunk PSV, and ?Renal artery trunk diameter were correlated with the ?CREA at the T1 and T2 time periods, respectively (r=0.636, P=0.048; r=0.672, P=0.033). Conclusion Acute cold exposure caused a decrease in heart rate, mean arterial pressure, an increase in CREA, and a decrease in right renal segmental artery PSV, renal artery trunk PSV, TAMEAN, and VolFlow in rabbits.Right renal artery trunk diameter and VolFlow at the time of T2, as well as right renal artery trunk PSV, TAMEAN, diameter, and VolFlow at the time of T3, may reflect the outcome of successful or unsuccessful rewarming. The magnitude of right renal artery trunk diameter narrowing and PSV reduction correlated with the magnitude of CREA elevation. Ultrasonic renal hemodynamic parameters have some application value in macroscopic assessment of the trend of renal perfusion changes in acute cold exposure in rabbits.