title: Contrast-enhanced dynamic MRI protocol with improved spatial and time resolution for in vivo microimaging of the mouse with a 1.5-T body scanner and a superconducting surface coil.
abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is well suited for small animal model investigations to study various human pathologies. However, the assessment of microscopic information requires a high-spatial resolution (HSR) leading to a critical problem of signal-to-noise ratio limitations in standard whole-body imager. As contrast mechanisms are field dependent, working at high field do not allow to derive MRI criteria that may apply to clinical settings done in standard whole-body systems. In this work, a contrast-enhanced dynamic MRI protocol with improved spatial and time resolution was used to perform in vivo tumor model imaging on the mouse at 1.5 T. The needed sensitivity is provided by the use of a 12-mm superconducting surface coil operating at 77 K. High quality in vivo images were obtained and revealed well-defined internal structures of the tumor. A 3-D HSR sequence with voxels of 59x59x300 microm3 encoded within 6.9 min and a 2-D sequence with subsecond acquisition time and isotropic in-plane resolution of 234 microm were used to analyze the contrast enhancement kinetics in tumoral structures at long and short time scales. This work is a first step to better characterize and differentiate the dynamic behavior of tumoral heterogeneities.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche en Résonance Magnétique Médicale, CNRS, UMR 8081, Bâtiment 220, Université Paris XI, 91405 Orsay, France. jean-christophe.ginefri@u2r2m.u-psud.fr
authors.forename: Jean-Christophe
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Ginefri
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poirier-Quinot
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Darrasse
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D005682:Gadolinium; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; C050823:gadolinium 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N',N'',N'''-tetraacetate; D005682:Gadolinium