title: Magnetic resonance imaging for the visualization of cholesterol gallstones in hamster fed a new high sucrose lithogenic diet.
abstract: Cholesterol gallstone induction in hamster gallbladder is usually achieved by specific diets. An X-ray in vivo follow-up of cholelithiasis development in this species is impossible, since cholesterol gallstones are transparent as long as they are not calcified. Moreover, their size (0.2 to 1 mm) also prevents their detection by ultrasonography. The current study presents an in vivo cholesterol gallstone detection by magnetic resonance imaging in hamsters fed a new high sucrose diet containing a low proportion of cholesterol (0.015%) and a normal ratio of lipids (10%). The diet produced gallstones and an increase in the cholesterol saturation index in about 50% of animals after a 5-week feeding period. The visualization of gallstones by magnetic resonance imaging in anaesthetized animals required synchronization between breathing movements and image acquisition. A high magnetic field was also necessary to allow a fine image resolution, adapted to gallstone size. Two major advantages of this technique are a direct selection of lithiasic animals with a functional gallbladder (in spite of the presence of gallstones) and a possible adjustment of the treatment period of potential litholytic drugs.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physiologie de la Nutrition, Université, Paris-Sud Orsay, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cohen-Solal
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parquet
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tiffon
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Volk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laurent
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lutton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002769:Cholelithiasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism*; D006224:Cricetinae; D004032:Diet; D005704:Gallbladder / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D013395:Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D013395:Sucrose; D002784:Cholesterol