title: In vivo quantification of T1, T2, and apparent diffusion coefficient in the mouse retina at 11.74T.
abstract: MRI has recently been used for noninvasive examination of retinal structure and function in rats and cats. However, the advantages of quantitative high-resolution MRI of retina from mice have not yet been explored. In the present study, T(1) and T(2) relaxation time constants and the directional apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in the retina of C57/BL6 mice were measured. Three MR-detected retina layers and a MR-detected choroid layer were observed on both T(1)- and T(2)-weighted images at an image resolution of 47 x 47 x 400 microm(3). The significantly higher ADC parallel to than that perpendicular to the optic nerve in the MR-detected outer retina layer at the central retina reflects the known cellular organization of the photoreceptor cells. This study establishes, for the first time, normative metrics of T(1), T(2), and ADC of the mouse retina. These MR parameters are expected to be useful in future evaluation of developmental and pathological alterations of retinal cell layers in mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
authors.forename: Junjie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Huiying
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiaoxia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Bruce A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Berkowitz
authors.forename: Samuel A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Wickline
authors.forename: Sheng-Kwei
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012160:Retina / Q000166:cytology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity