Complementary displacement-encoded MRI for contrast-enhanced infarct detection and quantification of myocardial function in mice.
MRI is emerging as an important modality for assessing myocardial function in transgenic and knockout mouse models of cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction (MI). Displacement encoding with stimulated echoes (DENSE) measures myocardial motion at high spatial resolution using phase-reconstructed images. The current DENSE technique uses inversion recovery (IR) to suppress T(1)-relaxation artifacts; however, IR is ill-suited for contrast-enhanced infarct imaging in the heart, where multiple T(1) values are observed. We have developed a modified DENSE method employing complementary acquisitions for T(1)-independent artifact suppression. With this technique, displacement and strain are measured in phase-reconstructed images, and contrast-enhanced regions of infarction are depicted in perfectly coregistered magnitude-reconstructed images. The displacement measurements and T(1)-weighted image contrast were validated with the use of a rotating phantom. Modified DENSE was performed in mice (N = 9) before and after MI. Circumferential (E(cc)) and radial (E(rr)) strain were measured, and contrast-enhanced infarcted myocardium was detected by DENSE. At baseline, E(cc) was -0.16 +/- 0.01 and E(rr) was 0.39 +/- 0.07. After MI, E(cc) was 0.04 +/- 0.02 and E(rr) was 0.03 +/- 0.04 in infarcted regions, whereas E(cc) was -0.12 +/- 0.02 and E(rr) was 0.38 +/- 0.09 in noninfarcted regions. In vivo E(cc) as determined by DENSE correlated well with E(cc) obtained by conventional tag analysis (R = 0.90).
Gilson
Wesley D
WD
Department of Radiology, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA.
Yang
Zequan
Z
French
Brent A
BA
Epstein
Frederick H
FH
D000818:Animals; D016477:Artifacts; D003287:Contrast Media; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008954:Models, Biological; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000473:pathology; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA