title: Three-dimensional contrasted visualization of pancreas in rats using clinical MRI and CT scanners.
abstract: The purpose of this work was to visualize the pancreas in post-mortem rats with local contrast medium infusion by three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) using clinical imagers. A total of 16 Sprague Dawley rats of about 300 g were used for the pancreas visualization. Following the baseline imaging, a mixed contrast medium dye called GadoIodo-EB containing optimized concentrations of Gd-DOTA, iomeprol and Evens blue was infused into the distally obstructed common bile duct (CBD) for post-contrast imaging with 3.0 T MRI and 128-slice CT scanners. Images were post-processed with the MeVisLab software package. MRI findings were co-registered with CT scans and validated with histomorphology, with relative contrast ratios quantified. Without contrast enhancement, the pancreas was indiscernible. After infusion of GadoIodo-EB solution, only the pancreatic region became outstandingly visible, as shown by 3D rendering MRI and CT and proven by colored dissection and histological examinations. The measured volume of the pancreas averaged 1.12 ± 0.04 cm(3) after standardization. Relative contrast ratios were 93.28 ± 34.61% and 26.45 ± 5.29% for MRI and CT respectively. We have developed a multifunctional contrast medium dye to help clearly visualize and delineate rat pancreas in situ using clinical MRI and CT scanners. The topographic landmarks thus created with 3D demonstration may help to provide guidelines for the next in vivo pancreatic MRI research in rodents.
authors: Theragnostic Laboratory, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Biomedical Sciences Group, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
authors: Ting
authors: T
authors: Yin
authors: Department of Radiology, University Hospitals, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
authors: Walter
authors: W
authors: Coudyzer
authors: Department of Radiology, University Hospitals, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
authors: Ronald
authors: R
authors: Peeters
authors: Theragnostic Laboratory, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Biomedical Sciences Group, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.|Department of Nuclear Medicine, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, China.
authors: Yewei
authors: Y
authors: Liu
authors: Theragnostic Laboratory, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Biomedical Sciences Group, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
authors: Marlein Miranda
authors: MM
authors: Cona
authors: Theragnostic Laboratory, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Biomedical Sciences Group, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.|Department of Radiology, University Hospitals, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
authors: Yuanbo
authors: Y
authors: Feng
authors: Theragnostic Laboratory, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Biomedical Sciences Group, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.|Department of Nuclear Medicine, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, China.
authors: Qian
authors: Q
authors: Xia
authors: Theragnostic Laboratory, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Biomedical Sciences Group, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.|Department of Radiology, University Hospitals, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Yu
authors: Theragnostic Laboratory, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Biomedical Sciences Group, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.|Department of Radiology, University Hospitals, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
authors: Yansheng
authors: Y
authors: Jiang
authors: Department of Radiology, University Hospitals, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
authors: Steven
authors: S
authors: Dymarkowski
authors: Department of Nuclear Medicine, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, China.
authors: Gang
authors: G
authors: Huang
authors: Theragnostic Laboratory, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Biomedical Sciences Group, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.|Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University, China.
authors: Feng
authors: F
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Radiology, University Hospitals, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
authors: Raymond
authors: R
authors: Oyen
authors: Theragnostic Laboratory, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Biomedical Sciences Group, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.|Department of Radiology, University Hospitals, KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
authors: Yicheng
authors: Y
authors: Ni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010179:Pancreas / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: 3D visualization; contrast-enhanced imaging; image processing; rat pancreas