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The global increase in asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and other pulmonary diseases has stimulated interest in preclinical rat models of pulmonary disease. Imaging methods for study of these models is particularly appealing since the results can be readily translated to the clinical setting. Comprehensive understanding of lung function can be achieved by performing registered pulmonary ventilation and perfusion imaging studies in the same animal. While ventilation imaging has been addressed for small animals, quantitative pulmonary perfusion imaging has not been feasible until recently, with our proposed technique for quantitative perfusion imaging using multiple contrast-agent injections and a view-sharing radial imaging technique. Here, we combine the method with registered ventilation imaging using hyperpolarized (3)He in an airway obstruction rodent model. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive quantitative assessment of lung function in small animals at high spatial resolution. Standard deviation of the log (V/Q) is used as a quantitative biomarker to differentiate heterogeneity between the control and treatment group. The estimated value of the biomarker lies within the normal range of values reported in the literature. The biomarker that was extracted using the imaging technique described in this work showed statistically significant differences between the control rats and those with airway obstruction.
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Obstrucción de las Vías Aéreas/diagnóstico , Algoritmos , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Helio , Aumento de la Imagen/métodos , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Imagen de Perfusión/métodos , Administración por Inhalación , Animales , Femenino , Helio/administración & dosificación , Humanos , Isótopos/administración & dosificación , Ratas , Ratas Endogámicas F344 , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Sensibilidad y EspecificidadRESUMEN
PURPOSE: Quantitative in vivo imaging of lung perfusion in rodents can provide critical information for preclinical studies. However, the combined challenges of high temporal and spatial resolution have made routine quantitative perfusion imaging difficult in small animals. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate 4D micro-CT for perfusion imaging in rodents at heartbeat temporal resolution and isotropic spatial resolution. METHODS: We have recently developed a dual tube/detector micro-CT scanner that is well suited to capture first pass kinetics of a bolus of contrast agent used to compute perfusion information. Our approach is based on the paradigm that similar time density curves can be reproduced in a number of consecutive, small volume injections of iodinated contrast agent at a series of different angles. This reproducibility is ensured by the high-level integration of the imaging components of our system with a microinjector, a mechanical ventilator, and monitoring applications. Sampling is controlled through a biological pulse sequence implemented in LABVIEW. Image reconstruction is based on a simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique implemented on a graphic processor unit. The capabilities of 4D micro-CT imaging are demonstrated in studies on lung perfusion in rats. RESULTS: We report 4D micro-CT imaging in the rat lung with a heartbeat temporal resolution (approximately 150 ms) and isotropic 3D reconstruction with a voxel size of 88 microm based on sampling using 16 injections of 50 microL each. The total volume of contrast agent injected during the experiments (0.8 mL) was less than 10% of the total blood volume in a rat. This volume was not injected in a single bolus, but in multiple injections separated by at least 2 min interval to allow for clearance and adaptation. We assessed the reproducibility of the time density curves with multiple injections and found that these are very similar. The average time density curves for the first eight and last eight injections are slightly different, i.e., for the last eight injections, both the maximum of the average time density curves and its area under the curve are decreased by 3.8% and 7.2%, respectively, relative to the average time density curves based on the first eight injections. The radiation dose associated with our 4D micro-CT imaging is 0.16 Gy and is therefore in the range of a typical micro-CT dose. CONCLUSIONS: 4D micro-CT-based perfusion imaging demonstrated here has immediate application in a wide range of preclinical studies such as tumor perfusion, angiogenesis, and renal function. Although our imaging system is in many ways unique, we believe that our approach based on the multiple injection paradigm can be used with the newly developed flat-panel slip-ring-based micro-CT to increase their temporal resolution in dynamic perfusion studies.
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Técnicas de Imagen Sincronizada Cardíacas/métodos , Técnicas de Imagen Sincronizada Cardíacas/veterinaria , Yopamidol , Pulmón/diagnóstico por imagen , Imagen de Perfusión/métodos , Imagen de Perfusión/veterinaria , Tomografía Computarizada por Rayos X/métodos , Tomografía Computarizada por Rayos X/veterinaria , Animales , Medios de Contraste/administración & dosificación , Yopamidol/administración & dosificación , Microinyecciones/métodos , Microinyecciones/veterinaria , Intensificación de Imagen Radiográfica/métodos , Ratas , Ratas Endogámicas F344 , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Sensibilidad y EspecificidadRESUMEN
PURPOSE: To develop and demonstrate a method for regional evaluation of pulmonary perfusion and gas exchange based on intravenous injection of hyperpolarized xenon 129 ((129)Xe) and subsequent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the gas-phase (129)Xe emerging in the alveolar airspaces. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five Fischer 344 rats that weighed 200-425 g were prepared for imaging according to an institutional animal care and use committee-approved protocol. Rats were ventilated, and a 3-F catheter was placed in the jugular (n = 1) or a 24-gauge catheter in the tail (n = 4) vein. Imaging and spectroscopy of gas-phase (129)Xe were performed after injecting 5 mL of half-normal saline saturated with (129)Xe hyperpolarized to 12%. Corresponding ventilation images were obtained during conventional inhalation delivery of hyperpolarized (129)Xe. RESULTS: Injections of (129)Xe-saturated saline were well tolerated and produced a strong gas-phase (129)Xe signal in the airspaces that resulted from (129)Xe transport through the pulmonary circulation and diffusion across the blood-gas barrier. After a single injection, the emerging (129)Xe gas could be detected separately from (129)Xe remaining in the blood and was imaged with an in-plane resolution of 1 x 1 mm and a signal-to-noise ratio of 25. Images in one rat revealed a matched ventilation-perfusion deficit, while images in another rat showed that xenon gas exchange was temporarily impaired after saline overload, with recovery of function 1 hour later. CONCLUSION: MR imaging of gas-phase (129)Xe emerging in the pulmonary airspaces after intravenous injection has the potential to become a sensitive and minimally invasive new tool for regional evaluation of pulmonary perfusion and gas exchange. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: http://radiology.rsnajnls.org/cgi/content/full/2513081550/DC1.
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Interpretación de Imagen Asistida por Computador/métodos , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Alveolos Pulmonares/fisiología , Circulación Pulmonar/fisiología , Intercambio Gaseoso Pulmonar/fisiología , Isótopos de Xenón/farmacocinética , Animales , Medios de Contraste/farmacocinética , Pautas de la Práctica en Medicina/tendencias , Ratas , Ratas Endogámicas F344 , Ciencia/tendencias , Transferencia de Tecnología , Isótopos de Xenón/administración & dosificaciónRESUMEN
Hyperpolarized (HP) (129)Xe yields high signal intensities in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and, through its large chemical shift range of approximately 300 ppm, provides detailed information about the local chemical environment. To exploit these properties in aqueous solutions and living tissues requires the development of methods for efficiently dissolving HP (129)Xe over an extended time period. To this end, we have used commercially available gas exchange modules to continuously infuse concentrated HP (129)Xe into flowing liquids, including rat whole blood, for periods as long as one hour and have demonstrated the feasibility of dissolved-phase MR imaging with submillimeter resolution within minutes. These modules, which exchange gases using hydrophobic microporous polymer membranes, are compatible with a variety of liquids and are suitable for infusing HP (129)Xe into the bloodstream in vivo. Additionally, we have developed a detailed mathematical model of the infused HP (129)Xe signal dynamics that should be useful in designing improved infusion systems that yield even higher dissolved HP (129)Xe signal intensities.
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Membranas Artificiales , Agua/química , Xenón/química , Animales , Interacciones Hidrofóbicas e Hidrofílicas , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Espectroscopía de Resonancia Magnética , Magnetismo , Masculino , Ratas , Soluciones , Factores de Tiempo , Xenón/sangreRESUMEN
Small animal magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM) has evolved significantly from testing the boundaries of imaging physics to its expanding use today as a tool in noninvasive biomedical investigations. MRM now increasingly provides functional information about living animals, with images of the beating heart, breathing lung, and functioning brain. Unlike clinical MRI, where the focus is on diagnosis, MRM is used to reveal fundamental biology or to noninvasively measure subtle changes in the structure or function of organs during disease progression or in response to experimental therapies. High-resolution anatomical imaging reveals increasingly exquisite detail in healthy animals and subtle architectural aberrations that occur in genetically altered models. Resolution of 100 mum in all dimensions is now routinely attained in living animals, and (10 mum)(3) is feasible in fixed specimens. Such images almost rival conventional histology while allowing the object to be viewed interactively in any plane. In this review we describe the state of the art in MRM for scientists who may be unfamiliar with this modality but who want to apply its capabilities to their research. We include a brief review of MR concepts and methods of animal handling and support, before covering a range of MRM applications-including the heart, lung, and brain-and the emerging field of MR histology. The ability of MRM to provide a detailed functional and anatomical picture in rats and mice, and to track this picture over time, makes it a promising platform with broad applications in biomedical research.
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Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Microscopía/métodos , Animales , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/instrumentación , Ratones , Microscopía/instrumentación , RatasRESUMEN
In vivo measurements of perfusion present a challenge to existing small animal imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance microscopy, micro computed tomography, micro positron emission tomography, and microSPECT, due to combined requirements for high spatial and temporal resolution. We demonstrate the use of tomographic digital subtraction angiography (TDSA) for estimation of perfusion in small animals. TDSA augments conventional digital subtraction angiography (DSA) by providing three-dimensional spatial information using tomosynthesis algorithms. TDSA is based on the novel paradigm that the same time density curves can be reproduced in a number of consecutive injections of microL volumes of contrast at a series of different angles of rotation. The capabilities of TDSA are established in studies on lung perfusion in rats. Using an imaging system developed in-house, we acquired data for four-dimensional (4D) imaging with temporal resolution of 140 ms, in-plane spatial resolution of 100 microm, and slice thickness on the order of millimeters. Based on a structured experimental approach, we optimized TDSA imaging providing a good trade-off between slice thickness, the number of injections, contrast to noise, and immunity to artifacts. Both DSA and TDSA images were used to create parametric maps of perfusion. TDSA imaging has potential application in a number of areas where functional perfusion measurements in 4D can provide valuable insight into animal models of disease and response to therapeutics.
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Angiografía de Substracción Digital/métodos , Pulmón/diagnóstico por imagen , Perfusión/métodos , Animales , Femenino , Pulmón/irrigación sanguínea , Angiografía por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Intensificación de Imagen Radiográfica/métodos , Ratas , Ratas Endogámicas F344 , Tomografía Computarizada por Rayos X/métodosRESUMEN
UNLABELLED: Cu-Diacetyl-bis(N(4)-methylthiosemicarbazone) (Cu-ATSM) is a recently developed PET imaging agent for tumor hypoxia. However, its accuracy and reliability for measuring hypoxia have not been fully characterized in vivo. The aim of this study was to evaluate (64)Cu-ATSM as a hypoxia PET marker by comparing autoradiographic distributions of (64)Cu-ATSM with a well-established hypoxia marker drug, EF5. METHODS: R3230 mammary adenocarcinomas (R3230Ac), fibrosarcomas (FSA), and 9L gliomas (9L) were used in the study. EF5 and Hoechst 33342, a vascular perfusion marker, were administered to the animal for immunohistochemical analysis. (64)Cu-ATSM microPET and autoradiography were performed on the same animal. The tumor-to-muscle ratio (T/M ratio) and standardized uptake values (SUVs) were characterized for these 3 different types of tumors. Five types of images-microPET, autoradiography, EF5 immunostaining, Hoechst fluorescence vascular imaging, and hematoxylin-and-eosin histology-were superimposed, evaluated, and compared. RESULTS: A significantly higher T/M ratio and SUV were seen for FSA compared with R3230Ac and 9L. Spatial correlation analysis between (64)Cu-ATSM autoradiography and EF5 immunostained images varied between the 3 tumor types. There was close correlation of (64)Cu-ATSM uptake and hypoxia in R3230Ac and 9L tumors but not in FSA tumors. Interestingly, elevated (64)Cu-ATSM uptake was observed in well-perfused areas in FSA, indicating a correlation between (64)Cu-ATSM uptake and vascular perfusion as opposed to hypoxia. The same relationship was observed with 2 other hypoxia markers, pimonidazole and carbonic anhydrase IX, in FSA tumors. Breathing carbogen gas significantly decreased the hypoxia level measured by EF5 staining in FSA-bearing rats but not the uptake of (64)Cu-ATSM. These results indicate that some other (64)Cu-ATSM retention mechanisms, as opposed to hypoxia, are involved in this type of tumor. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this study is the first comparison between (64)Cu-ATSM uptake and immunohistochemistry in these 3 tumors. Although we have shown that (64)Cu-ATSM is a valid PET hypoxia marker in some tumor types, but not for all, this tumor type-dependent hypoxia selectivity of (64)Cu-ATSM challenges the use of (64)Cu-ATSM as a universal PET hypoxia marker. Further studies are needed to define retention mechanisms for this PET marker.
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Neoplasias/diagnóstico por imagen , Neoplasias/metabolismo , Compuestos Organometálicos/farmacocinética , Oxígeno/metabolismo , Tomografía de Emisión de Positrones/métodos , Tiosemicarbazonas/farmacocinética , Animales , Hipoxia de la Célula , Línea Celular Tumoral , Complejos de Coordinación , Radioisótopos de Cobre/farmacocinética , Radiofármacos/farmacocinética , Ratas , Ratas Endogámicas F344 , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Sensibilidad y EspecificidadRESUMEN
PURPOSE: To assess the usefulness of hyperpolarized helium (3He) MRI, including apparent diffusion coefficient measurements, in the detection and evaluation of radiation-induced lung injury in rats. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Female Fischer-344 rats were treated to the right lung with fractionated dose of 40 Gy (5 x 8 Gy) using 4-MV photons. Conventional proton (1H) and hyperpolarized (3He) MRI were used to image the lungs 3-6 months after radiation treatment. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps of hyperpolarized 3He in the lungs were calculated using a nonlinear, least-squares fitting routine on a pixel-by-pixel basis. After imaging, lungs were processed for histologic assessment of damage. RESULTS: The effect of radiation was time dependent with progressive right lung damage ranging from mild to moderate at 3 months to severe fibrosis with structural deformation at 6 months after radiation. There was a significant decrease in the apparent diffusion coefficient of hyperpolarized 3He gas in radiation-treated lungs. Areas of decreased ADC in the lungs correlated with fibrosis shown by histology. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to show that hyperpolarized 3He MRI can detect radiation-induced lung injury noninvasively. Reduced hyperpolarized 3He ADC values postradiation likely reflect reduced alveolar volumes associated with fibrosis of the interstitium. Future studies at earlier time points may determine whether this noninvasive imaging technique can detect lung damage before clinical symptoms. Development of this new approach of magnetic resonance lung imaging in the rat model of radiation-induced lung injury will increase the ability to develop appropriate algorithms and more accurate models of the normal tissue complication probability.
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Helio , Pulmón/efectos de la radiación , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Protones , Traumatismos Experimentales por Radiación/diagnóstico , Traumatismos por Radiación/diagnóstico , Animales , Femenino , Análisis de los Mínimos Cuadrados , Pulmón/patología , Traumatismos por Radiación/patología , Traumatismos Experimentales por Radiación/patología , Ratas , Ratas Endogámicas F344RESUMEN
This review emphasizes some of the challenges and benefits of in vivo imaging of the small animal lung. Because mechanical ventilation plays a key role in high-quality, high-resolution imaging of the small animal lung, the article focuses particularly on the problems of ventilation support, control of breathing motion and lung volume, and imaging during different phases of the breathing cycle. Solutions for these problems are discussed primarily in relation to magnetic resonance imaging, both conventional proton imaging and the newer, hyperpolarized helium imaging of pulmonary airways. Examples of applications of these imaging solutions to normal and diseased lung are illustrated in the rat and guinea pig. Although difficult to perform, pulmonary imaging in the small animal can be a valuable source of information not only for the normal lung, but also for the lung challenged by disease.
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Animales de Laboratorio/fisiología , Pulmón , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Respiración Artificial/métodos , Anatomía Transversal , Animales , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Cobayas , Pulmón/anatomía & histología , Pulmón/fisiología , Pulmón/fisiopatología , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/instrumentación , Ratas , Respiración Artificial/instrumentaciónRESUMEN
The growing exposure to chemicals in our environment and the increasing concern over their impact on health have elevated the need for new methods for surveying the detrimental effects of these compounds. Today's gold standard for assessing the effects of toxicants on the brain is based on hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained histology, sometimes accompanied by special stains or immunohistochemistry for neural processes and myelin. This approach is time-consuming and is usually limited to a fraction of the total brain volume. We demonstrate that magnetic resonance histology (MRH) can be used for quantitatively assessing the effects of central nervous system toxicants in rat models. We show that subtle and sparse changes to brain structure can be detected using magnetic resonance histology, and correspond to some of the locations in which lesions are found by traditional pathological examination. We report for the first time diffusion tensor image-based detection of changes in white matter regions, including fimbria and corpus callosum, in the brains of rats exposed to 8 mg/kg and 12 mg/kg trimethyltin. Besides detecting brain-wide changes, magnetic resonance histology provides a quantitative assessment of dose-dependent effects. These effects can be found in different magnetic resonance contrast mechanisms, providing multivariate biomarkers for the same spatial location. In this study, deformation-based morphometry detected areas where previous studies have detected cell loss, while voxel-wise analyses of diffusion tensor parameters revealed microstructural changes due to such things as cellular swelling, apoptosis, and inflammation. Magnetic resonance histology brings a valuable addition to pathology with the ability to generate brain-wide quantitative parametric maps for markers of toxic insults in the rodent brain.
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Imagen de Difusión por Resonancia Magnética , Imagen de Difusión Tensora/métodos , Contaminantes Ambientales/toxicidad , Técnicas Histológicas/métodos , Compuestos de Trimetilestaño/toxicidad , Sustancia Blanca/efectos de los fármacos , Sustancia Blanca/patología , Animales , Relación Dosis-Respuesta a Droga , Masculino , RatasRESUMEN
CT and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) are ubiquitous in the clinic. Their preclinical equivalents are valuable imaging methods for studying disease models and treatment. We have developed a dual source/detector X-ray imaging system that we have used for both micro-CT and DSA studies in rodents. The control of such a complex imaging system requires substantial software development for which we use the graphical language LabVIEW (National Instruments, Austin, TX, USA). This paper focuses on a LabVIEW platform that we have developed to enable anatomical and functional imaging with micro-CT and DSA. Our LabVIEW applications integrate and control all the elements of our system including a dual source/detector X-ray system, a mechanical ventilator, a physiological monitor, and a power microinjector for the vascular delivery of X-ray contrast agents. Various applications allow cardiac- and respiratory-gated acquisitions for both DSA and micro-CT studies. Our results illustrate the application of DSA for cardiopulmonary studies and vascular imaging of the liver and coronary arteries. We also show how DSA can be used for functional imaging of the kidney. Finally, the power of 4D micro-CT imaging using both prospective and retrospective gating is shown for cardiac imaging.
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BACKGROUND: Hyperpolarized (HP) (129)Xe magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) permits high resolution, regional visualization of pulmonary ventilation. Additionally, its reasonably high solubility (>10%) and large chemical shift range (>200 ppm) in tissues allow HP (129)Xe to serve as a regional probe of pulmonary perfusion and gas transport, when introduced directly into the vasculature. In earlier work, vascular delivery was accomplished in rats by first dissolving HP (129)Xe in a biologically compatible carrier solution, injecting the solution into the vasculature, and then detecting HP (129)Xe as it emerged into the alveolar airspaces. Although easily implemented, this approach was constrained by the tolerable injection volume and the duration of the HP (129)Xe signal. METHODS AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, we overcome the volume and temporal constraints imposed by injection, by using hydrophobic, microporous, gas-exchange membranes to directly and continuously infuse (129)Xe into the arterial blood of live rats with an extracorporeal (EC) circuit. The resulting gas-phase (129)Xe signal is sufficient to generate diffusive gas exchange- and pulmonary perfusion-dependent, 3D MR images with a nominal resolution of 2×2×2 mm(3). We also show that the (129)Xe signal dynamics during EC infusion are well described by an analytical model that incorporates both mass transport into the blood and longitudinal relaxation. CONCLUSIONS: Extracorporeal infusion of HP (129)Xe enables rapid, 3D MR imaging of rat lungs and, when combined with ventilation imaging, will permit spatially resolved studies of the ventilation-perfusion ratio in small animals. Moreover, EC infusion should allow (129)Xe to be delivered elsewhere in the body and make possible functional and molecular imaging approaches that are currently not feasible using inhaled HP (129)Xe.
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Circulación Extracorporea/métodos , Pulmón/irrigación sanguínea , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Perfusión , Intercambio Gaseoso Pulmonar/efectos de los fármacos , Xenón/administración & dosificación , Xenón/farmacología , Animales , Simulación por Computador , Pulmón/efectos de los fármacos , Pulmón/fisiología , Masculino , Modelos Biológicos , Ratas , Ratas Sprague-Dawley , Respiración/efectos de los fármacos , Procesamiento de Señales Asistido por Computador , Isótopos de XenónRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: X-ray based digital subtraction angiography (DSA) is a common clinical imaging method for vascular morphology and function. Coronary artery characterization is one of its most important applications. We show that bi-plane DSA of rat coronary arteries can provide a powerful imaging tool for translational safety assessment in drug discovery. METHODS: A novel, dual tube/detector system, constructed explicitly for preclinical imaging, supports image acquisition at 10 frames/s with 88-micron spatial resolution. Ventilation, x-ray exposure, and contrast injection are all precisely synchronized using a biological sequence controller implemented as a LabVIEW application. A set of experiments were performed to test and optimize the sampling and image quality. We applied the DSA imaging protocol to record changes in the visualization of coronaries and myocardial perfusion induced by a vasodilator drug, nitroprusside. The drug was infused into a tail vein catheter using a peristaltic infusion pump at a rate of 0.07 mL/h for 3 min (dose: 0.0875 mg). Multiple DSA sequences were acquired before, during, and up to 25 min after drug infusion. Perfusion maps of the heart were generated in MATLAB to compare the drug effects over time. RESULTS: The best trade-off between the injection time, pressure, and image quality was achieved at 60 PSI, with the injection of 150 ms occurring early in diastole (60 ms delay) and resulting in the delivery of 113 µL of contrast agent. DSA images clearly show the main branches of the coronary arteries in an intact, beating heart. The drug test demonstrated that DSA can detect relative changes in coronary circulation via perfusion maps. CONCLUSIONS: The methodology for DSA imaging of rat coronary arteries can serve as a template for future translational studies to assist in safety evaluation of new pharmaceuticals. Although x-ray imaging involves radiation, the associated dose (0.4 Gy) is not a major limitation.
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Angiografía de Substracción Digital/métodos , Angiografía Coronaria/métodos , Circulación Coronaria/efectos de los fármacos , Imagen de Perfusión Miocárdica/métodos , Angiografía de Substracción Digital/instrumentación , Animales , Medios de Contraste/administración & dosificación , Angiografía Coronaria/instrumentación , Masculino , Nitroprusiato/administración & dosificación , Nitroprusiato/farmacología , Ratas , Ratas Sprague-Dawley , Factores de Tiempo , Vasodilatadores/administración & dosificación , Vasodilatadores/farmacologíaRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Dobutamine (DOB) stress in animal models of heart disease has been imaged so far using echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging. The purpose of this study was to assess normal response to DOB stress in rats using anatomical and functional data using micro-computed tomography (CT). METHODS: Ten normal adult male rats were first injected with a liposomal-based blood pool contrast agent and next infused with DOB via a tail vein catheter. Using prospective gating, 5 pairs of systole/diastole micro-CT images were acquired (a) pre-infusion baseline; (b) at heart rate plateau during infusion of 10 µg/kg/min DOB; (c) at post-DOB infusion baseline; (d) at heart rate plateau during infusion of 30 µg/kg/min DOB; and (e) after post-infusion return to baseline. Heart rate, peripheral and breathing distensions were monitored by oximetry. Micro-CT images with 88-µm isotropic voxels were segmented to obtain cardiac function based on volumetric measurements of the left ventricle. RESULTS: DOB stress increased heart rate and cardiac output with both doses. Ejection fraction increased above baseline by an average of 35.9% with the first DOB dose and 18.4% with the second dose. No change was observed in the relative peripheral arterial pressures associated with the significant increases in cardiac output. DISCUSSION: Micro-CT proved to be a robust imaging method able to provide isotropic data on cardiac morphology and function. Micro-CT has the advantage of being faster and more cost-effective than MR and is able to provide higher accuracy than echocardiography. The impact of such an enabling technology can be enormous in evaluating cardiotoxic effects of various test drugs.
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Gasto Cardíaco/efectos de los fármacos , Dobutamina/farmacología , Frecuencia Cardíaca/efectos de los fármacos , Corazón/diagnóstico por imagen , Microtomografía por Rayos X/métodos , Animales , Dobutamina/administración & dosificación , Ecocardiografía , Electrocardiografía , Corazón/efectos de los fármacos , Corazón/fisiología , Ventrículos Cardíacos/efectos de los fármacos , Ventrículos Cardíacos/patología , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética , Masculino , Ratas , Ratas Sprague-Dawley , Estrés FisiológicoRESUMEN
A long circulating liposomal, nanoscale blood pool agent encapsulating traditional iodinated contrast agent (65 mg I/mL) was used for micro-computed tomography (CT) imaging of rats implanted with R3230AC mammary carcinoma. Three-dimensional vascular architecture of tumors was imaged at 100-micron isotropic resolution. The image data showed good qualitative correlation with pathologic findings. The approach holds promise for studying tumor angiogenesis and for evaluating anti-angiogenesis therapies.
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Yopamidol/química , Liposomas/química , Neoplasias Mamarias Animales/diagnóstico por imagen , Mamografía/métodos , Nanopartículas , Intensificación de Imagen Radiográfica/métodos , Tomografía Computarizada por Rayos X/métodos , Animales , Línea Celular Tumoral , Medios de Contraste , Femenino , Ratas , Ratas Endogámicas F344RESUMEN
Liver fibrosis is currently staged using needle biopsy, a highly invasive procedure with a number of disadvantages. Measurement of liver stiffness changes that accompany progression of the disease may provide a quantitative and noninvasive method to assess the health of the liver. The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlation between liver stiffness measured by radiation force induced shear waves and disease related changes in the liver. An additional aim is to present initial findings on the effects of liver viscosity on radiation force induced shear wave morphology. Liver fibrosis was induced in 10 rats using carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4)), while five rats acted as controls. Liver stiffness was measured in vivo in all rats after a treatment period of 8 weeks using a modified Siemens SONOLINE Antares scanner (Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Ultrasound Division, Issaquah, WA, USA). The spatial coherence of radiation force induced shear waves propagating in the viscoelastic rat liver decreased significantly with propagation distance, compared with shear waves in an elastic phantom and a finite element model of a purely elastic medium. Animals were sacrificed after imaging and liver samples were taken for histopathologic analysis and collagen quantification using picrosirius red staining and hydroxyproline assay. At the end of the treatment period, five rats had healthy livers (stage F0), while six had severe fibrosis (F3) and the rest had light to moderate fibrosis (F1 and F2). The measured liver stiffness for the F0 group was 1.5+/-0.1 kPa (mean+/-95% confidence interval) and for F3 livers was 1.8+/-0.2 kPa. In this study, liver stiffness was found to be linearly correlated with the amount of collagen in the liver measured by picrosirius red staining (r(2)=0.43, p=0.008). In addition, stiffness spatial heterogeneity was also linearly correlated with liver collagen content (r(2)=0.58, p=0.001) by picrosirius red staining. These results are consistent with those obtained by Salameh et al. (2007) and Yin et al. (2007b) using animal models of liver fibrosis and MR elastography. This suggests that stiffness measurement using acoustic radiation force can provide a quantitative assessment of the extent of fibrosis in the liver and can be potentially used for the diagnosis, management and study of liver fibrosis.
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Diagnóstico por Imagen de Elasticidad/métodos , Cirrosis Hepática Experimental/diagnóstico por imagen , Animales , Tetracloruro de Carbono , Colágeno/análisis , Elasticidad , Estudios de Factibilidad , Cirrosis Hepática Experimental/inducido químicamente , Cirrosis Hepática Experimental/metabolismo , Masculino , Ratas , Ratas Sprague-Dawley , Índice de Severidad de la Enfermedad , ViscosidadRESUMEN
In vivo magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM) of the small animal lung has become a valuable research tool, especially for preclinical studies. MRM offers a noninvasive and nondestructive tool for imaging small animals longitudinally and at high spatial resolution. We summarize some of the technical and biologic problems and solutions associated with imaging the small animal lung and describe several important pulmonary disease applications. A major advantage of MR is direct imaging of the gas spaces of the lung using breathable gases such as helium and xenon. When polarized, these gases become rich MR signal sources. In animals breathing hyperpolarized helium, the dynamics of gas distribution can be followed and airway constrictions and obstructions can be detected. Diffusion coefficients of helium can be calculated from diffusion-sensitive images, which can reveal micro-structural changes in the lungs associated with pathologies such as emphysema and fibrosis. Unlike helium, xenon in the lung is absorbed by blood and exhibits different frequencies in gas, tissue, or erythrocytes. Thus, with MR imaging, the movement of xenon gas can be tracked through pulmonary compartments to detect defects of gas transfer. MRM has become a valuable tool for studying morphologic and functional changes in small animal models of lung diseases.
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Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Enfermedades Pulmonares/diagnóstico , Pulmón/patología , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Microscopía , Animales , Helio , Isótopos , Pulmón/fisiopatología , Enfermedades Pulmonares/fisiopatología , Ratones , Ratas , Pruebas de Función Respiratoria/instrumentación , Pruebas de Función Respiratoria/métodos , Isótopos de XenónRESUMEN
PURPOSE: To develop a magnetic resonance histology (MRH) staining and fixation method by immersion to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) with a paramagnetic contrast agent permitting microscopic acquisition within a 3-hour scan time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Methods were optimized for embryonic day 18.5 (E18.5) rat fetuses and imaging at 9.4T with an RF refocused spin-echo pulse sequence (TR/TE = 75 msec/5.2 msec). Fixation/staining was performed by immersion in Bouin's fixative containing varied concentrations of ProHance (from 10:1 to 500:1 Bouin's:ProHance) and for varied immersion durations (up to 24 hours). RESULTS: The results showed a significant change in T1 and T2 relaxation times as a function of concentration of contrast agent and immersion duration. As the contrast agent penetrated the tissues, T1 was reduced as desired (typically by 10x), but at the same time T2 was profoundly reduced (typically by 3x) due to both protein cross-linking from the fixative and the high concentration of contrast agent. A systematic assessment of this staining protocol showed an increased SNR (by 5x) over that in unstained specimens. CONCLUSION: This staining protocol reduced scan time for very-high-resolution images (19.5 microm) to only 3 hours, making MRH a routine tool for evaluating fetal development.
Asunto(s)
Medios de Contraste/administración & dosificación , Feto/embriología , Imagen por Resonancia Magnética/métodos , Coloración y Etiquetado/métodos , Animales , Ratas , Ratas Sprague-DawleyRESUMEN
The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) for morphological and functional phenotyping of muscle LIM protein (MLP) null mice and to compare micro-CT with M-mode echocardiography. MLP null mice and controls were imaged using both micro-CT and M-mode echocardiography. For micro-CT, we used a custom-built scanner. Following a single intravenous injection of a blood pool contrast agent (Fenestra VC, ART Advanced Research Technologies, Saint-Laurent, QC) and using a cardiorespiratory gating, we acquired eight phases of the cardiac cycle (every 15 ms) and reconstructed three-dimensional data sets with 94-micron isotropic resolution. Wall thickness and volumetric measurements of the left ventricle were performed, and cardiac function was estimated. Micro-CT and M-mode echocardiography showed both morphological and functional aspects that separate MLP null mice from controls. End-diastolic and -systolic volumes were increased significantly three- and fivefold, respectively, in the MLP null mice versus controls. Ejection fraction was reduced by an average of 32% in MLP null mice. The data analysis shows that two imaging modalities provided different results partly owing to the difference in anesthesia regimens. Other sources of errors for micro-CT are also analyzed. Micro-CT can provide the four-dimensional data (three-dimensional isotropic volumes over time) required for morphological and functional phenotyping in mice.