Ultrafast multiplanar determination of left ventricular hypertrophy in spontaneously hypertensive rats with single-shot spin-echo nuclear magnetic resonance imaging.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether left ventricular hypertrophy can be correctly evaluated in hypertensive rats with a new nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging modality that is relatively simple to operate and provides results of constant quality while offering a high signal-to-noise ratio. DESIGN Left ventricular mass as calculated from the NMR imaging analysis was compared with the actual left ventricular mass measured by gravimetry.


METHODS
Single-shot ultrafast spin-echo (SSFSE) imaging of hearts of Wistar-Kyoto rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats was performed at 4 T. Left ventricular mass was determined by using Simpson's rule on stacks of images acquired in systole and diastole.


RESULTS
SSFSE NMR imaging performed in systole or in diastole evaluated and quantified left ventricular hypertrophy in hearts of spontaneously hypertensive rats very similarly to gravimetry. The left ventricular mass as determined by NMR was in good accordance with the actual left ventricular weight (SEE: 30.39 and 35.86 mg for the systolic and diastolic NMR acquisitions, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Using an SSFSE sequence, high-quality NMR images of the rat heart can be generated very reliably with sufficient contrast and temporal and spatial resolution, and allow precise, non-invasive and fast characterization of left ventricular hypertrophy in a hypertensive rat model.
Parzy
Elodie
E
NMR Laboratory, AFM and CEA, Institute of Myology, IFR14, Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital, Paris, France.
Fromes
Yves
Y
Wary
Claire
C
Vignaux
Olivier
O
Giacomini
Eric
E
Leroy-Willig
Anne
A
Carlier
Pierre G
PG
D000818:Animals; D003971:Diastole; D017352:Echo-Planar Imaging; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications*; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D013599:Systole; D013997:Time Factors