Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging
4 years ago

Phase-contrast MR flow imaging: A tool to determine hepatic hemodynamics in rats with a healthy, fibrotic, or cirrhotic liver

Wolfgang Kreisel, Dominik Elverfeldt, Wilfried Reichardt, Jakob Neubauer, Peter Deibert, Manfred W. Baumstark, Adhara Lazaro, Irmgard Merfort, Lisa Lutz, Denise Schaffner
Purpose To test a magnetic resonance (MR) scanning protocol as a noninvasive tool to determine hepatic hemodynamics and to assess the degree of liver fibrosis in an animal model of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. Materials and Methods Fifty-four male Wistar rats were studied. Thirty-nine received thioacetamide (TAA) in their drinking water for either 12 or 16 weeks. MR measurements were performed using flow-sensitive 2D phase-contrast MRI and a 9.4T preclinical scanner. The following hemodynamic parameters were investigated: portal cross-sectional area, mean portal flow velocity, and portal and aortic flow volume rate. Therefore, rats (n = 46) were divided into three groups: CON (control, n = 13), FIB (fibrosis, n = 25), and CIR (cirrhosis, n = 8). Furthermore, the degree of liver fibrosis was assessed by a self-established MR score and verified by a standardized histological score (n = 48). Results Portal and aortic flow parameters could be reliably detected. A significant decrease in portal flow velocity was found in FIB (FIB vs. CON: –21%, P = 0.006 and CIR vs. CON: –17%, P = 0.105) and in portal flow volume rate in FIB and CIR (FIB vs. CON: –20%, P = 0.009 and CIR vs. CON: –25%, P = 0.024). If the histological score is taken as standard, the self-established MR score enabled discrimination between healthy and diseased livers (sensitivity to identify diseased livers: 89% and specificity to identify healthy livers: 100%). Conclusion This MR scanning protocol presents a noninvasive tool to determine hepatic hemodynamics in healthy and diseased rats. Level of Evidence: 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;46:1526–1534.

Publisher URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/resolve/doi

DOI: 10.1002/jmri.25677

You might also like
Discover & Discuss Important Research

Keeping up-to-date with research can feel impossible, with papers being published faster than you'll ever be able to read them. That's where Researcher comes in: we're simplifying discovery and making important discussions happen. With over 19,000 sources, including peer-reviewed journals, preprints, blogs, universities, podcasts and Live events across 10 research areas, you'll never miss what's important to you. It's like social media, but better. Oh, and we should mention - it's free.

  • Download from Google Play
  • Download from App Store
  • Download from AppInChina

Researcher displays publicly available abstracts and doesn’t host any full article content. If the content is open access, we will direct clicks from the abstracts to the publisher website and display the PDF copy on our platform. Clicks to view the full text will be directed to the publisher website, where only users with subscriptions or access through their institution are able to view the full article.