Microimaging of hairless rat skin by magnetic resonance at 900 MHz.
OBJECTIVE
Quantitative imaging of the rat skin was performed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 900 MHz.


METHODS
A number of imaging techniques utilized for multiple contrast included magnetization transfer contrast, spin-lattice relaxation constant (T1-weighting), combination of T2-weighting with magnetic field inhomogeneity (T2*-weighting), magnetization transfer weighting and diffusion tensor weighting. These were used to obtain 2D slices and 3D multislice-multiecho images with high magnetic resonance contrast. These 2D and 3D imaging techniques were combined to achieve high-resolution MRI.


RESULTS
Oil-water phantom showed distinct fat-water contrast. The dermis and epidermis, including the stratum corneum remnants, of nude rat skin were distinct due to their proton magnetic resonance as a result of proton interactions with the skin interstitial tissue. Combined details obtained from high-resolution, high-quality ex vivo skin images with different multicontrast characteristics generated better differentiation of skin layers, sublayers and significant correlation (r(2)=0.4927 for MRI area, r(2)=0.3068 for histology area; P<.0148) of MR data with co-registered histological areas of the epidermis as well as the hair follicle.


CONCLUSIONS
The multiple contrast approach provided a noninvasive ex vivo MRI visualization with semi-quantitative assessment of the major skin structures including the stratum corneum remnants, epidermis, hair, papillary dermis, reticular dermis and hypodermis.
Sharma
Rakesh
R
CIMAR, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA; FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, Tallahassee, FL 32310, USA. rsharma@eng.fsu.edu
D000818:Animals; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D051381:Rats; D054772:Rats, Hairless; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012867:Skin / Q000033:anatomy & histology*