title: Phase-contrast MR flow imaging: A tool to determine hepatic hemodynamics in rats with a healthy, fibrotic, or cirrhotic liver.
abstract: To test a magnetic resonance (MR) scanning protocol as a noninvasive tool to determine hepatic hemodynamics and to assess the degree of liver fibrosis in an animal model of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.
  
  
  
  Fifty-four male Wistar rats were studied. Thirty-nine received thioacetamide (TAA) in their drinking water for either 12 or 16 weeks. MR measurements were performed using flow-sensitive 2D phase-contrast MRI and a 9.4T preclinical scanner. The following hemodynamic parameters were investigated: portal cross-sectional area, mean portal flow velocity, and portal and aortic flow volume rate. Therefore, rats (n = 46) were divided into three groups: CON (control, n = 13), FIB (fibrosis, n = 25), and CIR (cirrhosis, n = 8). Furthermore, the degree of liver fibrosis was assessed by a self-established MR score and verified by a standardized histological score (n = 48).
  
  
  
  Portal and aortic flow parameters could be reliably detected. A significant decrease in portal flow velocity was found in FIB (FIB vs. CON: -21%, P = 0.006 and CIR vs. CON: -17%, P = 0.105) and in portal flow volume rate in FIB and CIR (FIB vs. CON: -20%, P = 0.009 and CIR vs. CON: -25%, P = 0.024). If the histological score is taken as standard, the self-established MR score enabled discrimination between healthy and diseased livers (sensitivity to identify diseased livers: 89% and specificity to identify healthy livers: 100%).
  
  
  
  This MR scanning protocol presents a noninvasive tool to determine hepatic hemodynamics in healthy and diseased rats.
  
  
  
  2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;46:1526-1534.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Exercise- und Occupational Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Germany.|Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany.|Department of Pharmaceutical Biology and Biotechnology, University of Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schaffner
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany.|Department of Radiology, Medical Physics, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: von Elverfeldt
authors.affiliation: Institute for Exercise- und Occupational Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Germany.|Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deibert
authors.affiliation: Institute for Exercise- und Occupational Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Germany.|Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Adhara
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lazaro
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Biology and Biotechnology, University of Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Irmgard
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Merfort
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany.|Institute of Clinical Pathology, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lutz
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany.|Department of Radiology, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jakob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Neubauer
authors.affiliation: Institute for Exercise- und Occupational Medicine, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Germany.|Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Manfred W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Baumstark
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany.|Department of Medicine II, Gastroenterology, Hepatology, Endocrinology and Infectious Diseases, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kreisel
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany.|Department of Radiology, Medical Physics, Medical Center, University of Freiburg, Germany.|German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Heidelberg, Germany.|German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Wilfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Reichardt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000473:pathology; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008099:Liver / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D013853:Thioacetamide / Q000737:chemistry; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D013853:Thioacetamide
keywords: MR; hemodynamics; liver cirrhosis; noninvasive; rats; thioacetamide