title: Effects of Liver Fibrosis Progression on Tissue Relaxation Times in Different Mouse Models Assessed by Ultrahigh Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
abstract: Recently, clinical studies demonstrated that magnetic resonance relaxometry with determination of relaxation times T1 and T2⁎may aid in staging and management of liver fibrosis in patients suffering from viral hepatitis and steatohepatitis. In the present study we investigated T1 and T2⁎in different models of liver fibrosis to compare alternate pathophysiologies in their effects on relaxation times and to further develop noninvasive quantification methods of liver fibrosis. MRI was performed with a fast spin echo sequence for measurement of T1 and a multigradient echo sequence for determination of T2⁎. Toxic liver fibrosis was induced by injections of carbon tetrachloride (1.4 mL CCl4per kg bodyweight and week, for 3 or 6 weeks) in BALB/cJ mice. Chronic sclerosing cholangitis was mimicked using the ATP-binding cassette transporter B4 knockout(Abcb4-/-) mouse model. Untreated BALB/cJ mice served as controls. To assess hepatic fibrosis, we ascertained collagen contents and fibrosis scores after Sirius red staining. T1 and T2⁎correlate differently to disease severity and etiology of liver fibrosis. T2⁎shows significant decrease correlating with fibrosis in CCl4treated animals, while demonstrating significant increase with disease severity inAbcb4-/-mice. Measurements of T1 and T2⁎may therefore facilitate discrimination between different stages and causes of liver fibrosis.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Saarland University Medical Center, Kirrberger Str. 100, Bdg. 50.1, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Department of Internal Medicine II, Saarland University, Saarland University Medical Center, Bdg. 77, Kirrberger Str. 100, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hochrath
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Saarland University Medical Center, Kirrberger Str. 100, Bdg. 50.1, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stroeder
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, University Hospital Bonn, Bdg. 62, Sigmund-Freud Str. 25, 53127 Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Kanishka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hittatiya
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Saarland University Medical Center, Kirrberger Str. 100, Bdg. 50.1, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Günther
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine II, Saarland University, Saarland University Medical Center, Bdg. 77, Kirrberger Str. 100, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lammert
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Saarland University Medical Center, Kirrberger Str. 100, Bdg. 50.1, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Arno
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buecker
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Saarland University Medical Center, Kirrberger Str. 100, Bdg. 50.1, 66421 Homburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6691-9541
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fries
mesh_terms: D018435:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002252:Carbon Tetrachloride Poisoning / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D000097202:ATP-Binding Cassette Sub-Family B Member 4
chemical_list: D018435:ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B; D000097202:ATP-Binding Cassette Sub-Family B Member 4