title: Effect of disease progression on liver apparent diffusion coefficient and T2 values in a murine model of hepatic fibrosis at 11.7 Tesla MRI.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of hepatic fibrosis on ADC and T(2) values of ex vivo murine liver specimens imaged using 11.7 Tesla (T) MRI.
  
  
  METHODS
  This animal study was IACUC approved. Seventeen male, C57BL/6 mice were divided into control (n = 2) and experimental groups (n = 15), the latter fed a 3, 5-dicarbethoxy-1, 4-dihydrocollidine (DDC) supplemented diet, inducing hepatic fibrosis. Ex vivo liver specimens were imaged using an 11.7T MRI scanner. Spin-echo pulsed field gradient and multi-echo spin-echo acquisitions were used to generate parametric ADC and T(2) maps, respectively. Degrees of fibrosis were determined by the evaluation of a pathologist as well as digital image analysis. Scatterplot graphs comparing ADC and T(2) to degrees of fibrosis were generated and correlation coefficients were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Strong correlation was found between degrees of hepatic fibrosis and ADC with higher degrees of fibrosis associated with lower hepatic ADC values. Moderate correlation between hepatic fibrosis and T(2) values was seen with higher degrees of fibrosis associated with lower T(2) values.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Inverse relationships between degrees of fibrosis and both ADC and T(2) are seen, highlighting the utility of these parameters in the ongoing development of an MRI methodology to quantify hepatic fibrosis.
authors: Boston University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Boston, Massachusetts 02218, USA. stephan.anderson@bmc.org
authors: Stephan W
authors: SW
authors: Anderson
authors: Hernan
authors: H
authors: Jara
authors: Al
authors: A
authors: Ozonoff
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: O'Brien
authors: James A
authors: JA
authors: Hamilton
authors: Jorge A
authors: JA
authors: Soto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003997:Dicarbethoxydihydrocollidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D018450:Disease Progression; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007249:Inflammation; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D015233:Models, Statistical; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D003997:Dicarbethoxydihydrocollidine