title: MRI-based assessment of liver perfusion and hepatocyte injury in the murine model of acute hepatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess alterations in perfusion and liver function in the concanavalin A (ConA)-induced mouse model of acute liver failure (ALF) using two magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based methods: dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) with Gd-EOB-DTPA contrast agent and arterial spin labelling (ASL).
  
  
  METHODS
  BALB/c mice were studied using a 9.4 T MRI system. The IntraGateFLASHTMand FAIR-EPI pulse sequences were used for optimum mouse abdomen imaging.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average perfusion values for the liver of the control and ConA group were equal to 245 ± 20 and 200 ± 32 ml/min/100 g (p = 0.008, respectively). DCE-MRI showed that the time to the peak of the image enhancement was 6.14 ± 1.07 min and 9.72 ± 1.69 min in the control and ConA group (p < 0.001, respectively), while the rate of the contrast wash-out in the control and ConA group was 0.037 ± 0.008 and 0.021 ± 0.008 min-1(p = 0.004, respectively). These results were consistent with hepatocyte injury in the ConA-treated mice as confirmed by histopathological staining.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both the ASL and DCE-MRI techniques represent a reliable methodology to assess alterations in liver perfusion and hepatocyte integrity in murine hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Byk
authors.affiliation: Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jasinski
authors.affiliation: Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Zaneta
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bartel
authors.affiliation: Jagiellonian Centre for Experimental Therapeutics (JCET), Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jasztal
authors.affiliation: Jagiellonian Centre for Experimental Therapeutics (JCET), Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sitek
authors.affiliation: Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland.|Division of Medical Physics, Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Boguslaw
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tomanek
authors.affiliation: Jagiellonian Centre for Experimental Therapeutics (JCET), Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.|Department of Experimental Pharmacology, Chair of Pharmacology, Medical College, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chlopicki
authors.affiliation: Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland. Tomasz.Skorka@ifj.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Skorka
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000737:chemistry; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000737:chemistry; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA / Q000737:chemistry; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010477:Perfusion; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013113:Spin Labels
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D013113:Spin Labels; D003208:Concanavalin A; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA
keywords: Acute liver failure; Arterial spin labelling; DCE-MRI; Empirical mathematical modelling; Perfusion