title: Magnetic resonance imaging of Long-Evans cinnamon rats as a new model of hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Following hereditary hepatitis, Long-Evans Cinnamon (LEC) rats spontaneously develop hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) histopathologically similar to human well-differentiated HCC. We demonstrated that LEC rats are an appropriate model of evaluating magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of well-differentiated liver tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six 23-25-month-old LEC rats were studied using liver MR imaging and histologic observation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Signal intensity of HCCs without cystic areas was normal or slightly high on T1-weighted images and slightly high on T2-weighted images. Histopathologically, most tumors resembled human highly or well-differentiated HCCs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The LEC rat is a good model of investigating MR imaging of well-differentiated HCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Bibai Rosai Hospital, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakakoshi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kajiyama
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jong-Hon
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takeichi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyasaka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains