Analysis of reliability metrics and quality enhancement measures in current density imaging.

Low frequency current density imaging (LFCDI) is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique which enables calculation of current pathways within the medium of study. The induced current produces a magnetic flux which presents itself in phase images obtained through MRI scanning. A class of LFCDI challenges arises from the subject rotation requirement, which calls for reliability analysis metrics and specific image registration techniques. In this study these challenges are formulated and in light of proposed discussions, the reliability analysis of calculation of current pathways in a designed phantom and a pig heart is presented. The current passed is measured with less than 5% error for phantom, using CDI method. It is shown that Gauss's law for magnetism can be treated as reliability metric in matching the images in two orientations. For the phantom and pig heart the usefulness of image registration for mitigation of rotation errors is demonstrated. The reliability metric provides a good representation of the degree of correspondence between images in two orientations for phantom and pig heart. In our CDI experiments this metric produced values of 95% and 26%, for phantom, and 88% and 75% for pig heart, for mismatch rotations of 0 and 20 degrees respectively.

Principles of magnetic resonance imaging.

This article aims to provide an educational document of magnetic resonance imaging principles for applied biomedical users of the technology. Basic principles are illustrated using simple experimental models on a preclinical imaging system.

Oltipraz upregulates the nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 [corrected](NRF2) antioxidant system and prevents insulin resistance and obesity induced by a high-fat diet in C57BL/6J mice.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: We investigated whether oltipraz, a nuclear respiratory factor 2 alpha subunit (NRF2) activator, improves insulin sensitivity and prevents the development of obesity in mice. METHODS: C57BL/6J mice were fed with a low-fat diet (10% of energy as fat), a high-fat diet (HFD) (45% of energy as fat) or a HFD with oltipraz for 28 weeks. The effects of oltipraz on body weight, fat content, glucose disposal, insulin signalling, metabolic profiles and endogenous NRF2 functional status in the three groups of mice were investigated. RESULTS: Oltipraz prevented or significantly attenuated the effect of HFD on glucose disposal, body weight and fat gain. Impairment of protein kinase B/Akt phosphorylation in this HFD-fed mouse model in response to intraperitoneal insulin injection was observed in adipose tissue, but not in the muscles, accompanied by inhibition of AMP-activated protein kinase signalling and activation of p70S6 kinase, as well as reduced GLUT4 content. These defects were attenuated by oltipraz administration. Nuclear content of NRF2 in adipose tissue was reduced by HFD feeding, associated with increased Keap1 mRNA expression and reduced production of haem oxygenase-1 and superoxide dismutase, increased protein oxidation, decreased plasma reduced:oxidised glutathione ratio and the appearance of macrophage marker F4/80. These defects were also restored by oltipraz. Finally, oltipraz attenuated HFD-induced inducible nitric oxide synthase overproduction. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Impairment of the endogenous redox system is important in the development of obesity and insulin resistance in chronic HFD feeding. NRF2 activation represents a potential novel approach in the treatment and prevention of obesity and diabetes.

MRI relaxation fluctuations in acute reperfused hemorrhagic infarction.

MRI evaluations of intramyocardial hemorrhage in acute infarction have relied on T(2) and T(2)(*) shortening only. We propose a more comprehensive evaluation of hemorrhagic infarction based on the concept that fluctuations in T(2) and T(1) relaxation in acute reperfused infarction will reflect transient edema and hemoglobin oxidative denaturation to uncompartmentalized methemoglobin. Anteroapical infarction was created via percutaneous balloon in young swine (22-25 kg, N = 12). T(2), T(1), diastolic wall thickness (DWT), and the Gd-DTPA partition coefficient (lambda) were measured on days 0, 2, and 7. DWT was elevated at 1 hr postreperfusion (128% +/- 53%, P = 0.0001), and alleviated on days 2 and 7 (48% +/- 10%, P = 0.008; 53% +/- 24%, P = 0.003). T(2) and T(1) elevations were coincident with early edema (DeltaT(2) = 55% +/- 24%, P < 0.0001; DeltaT(1) = 27% +/- 18%, P < 0.04). T(2) and T(1) were nearly normal on day 2 (DeltaT(2) = 8% +/- 8%, P = 0.27; DeltaT(1) = 0% +/- 1%, P = 0.65). On day 7, T(2) increased while T(1) decreased (DeltaT(2) = 27% +/- 16%, P = 0.005; DeltaT(1) = -14% +/- 10%, P = 0.02). Lambda was elevated by >150% at all time points (P < or = 0.002). Histology verified hemorrhagic injury. T(1) and T(2) fluctuations are consistent with transient edema, as well as hemoglobin oxidative denaturation to decompartmentalized methemoglobin. This methodological development may broaden our understanding of hemorrhagic microvascular injury and improve its detection in clinical populations.

T2 fluctuations in ischemic and post-ischemic viable porcine myocardium in vivo.

T2 relaxation can augment delayed-enhancement viability imaging because it is sensitive to tissue edema and microcirculatory oxygen state. We demonstrate the T2 'signatures' of sub-lethal ischemia and stunning in porcine myocardium perfused by the distal left anterior descending artery, by imaging during percutaneous balloon occlusion for 25 minutes and subsequent reperfusion (n = 9). Muscle displayed ischemic dysfunction and partial post-ischemic functional recovery (p < or = 0.0004), concommitant with an elevated post-ischemic T2 (deltaT2 = 27 +/- 18%, p = 0.005). TTC staining verified muscle viability. The T2 fluctuations may reflect hyperemia and tissue cellular edema in accord with the known pathophysiology of ischemic and post-ischemic yet viable muscle.

Coronary venous oximetry using MRI.

Based on the Fick law, coronary venous blood oxygen measurements have value for assessing functional parameters such as the coronary flow reserve. At present, the application of this measure is restricted by its invasive nature. This report describes the design and testing of a noninvasive coronary venous blood oxygen measurement using MRI, with a preliminary focus on the coronary sinus. After design optimization including a four-coil phased array and an optimal set of data acquisition parameters, quality tests indicate measurement precision on the order of the gold standard optical measurement (3%O(2)). Comparative studies using catheter sampling suggest reasonable accuracy (3 subjects), with variability dominated by sampling location uncertainty ( approximately 7%O(2)). Intravenous dipyridamole (5 subjects) induces significant changes in sinus blood oxygenation (22 +/- 9% O(2)), corresponding to flow reserves of 1.8 +/- 0.4, suggesting the potential for clinical utility. Underestimation of flow reserve is dominated by right atrial mixing and the systemic effects of dipyridamole. Magn Reson Med 42:837-848, 1999.

T2 accuracy on a whole-body imager.

MR oximetry requires a T2 measurement that is accurate within 5% in vivo. Simple methods are susceptible to signal loss and tend to underestimate T2. Current methods utilize RF pulses or RF cycling patterns that prevent signal loss at each data acquisition. However, using these methods with imperfect pulses, T2 tends to be overestimated due to temporary storage of the magnetization along the longitudinal axis where it decays more slowly with a time constant T1 > T2. To reduce the T1 dependence while preventing signal loss, we utilize simple 90x180y90x composite pulses and good RF cycling patterns. These trains are critical for T2 accuracy over typical ranges of RF and static field inhomogeneities and refocusing intervals. T1 signal decay during each 90x180y90x pulse must be accounted for to yield accuracy within 5% when the pulse-width is 10% or more of the refocusing interval. A simple correction scheme compensates for this T1-related error effectively.

Fluorimetric Detection of a Bacillus stearothermophilus Spore-Bound Enzyme, alpha-d-Glucosidase, for Rapid Indication of Flash Sterilization Failure.

A biological indicator based on fluorimetric detection within 60 min of a Bacillus stearothermophilus spore-bound enzyme, alpha-d-glucosidase, has been developed. Results indicate that the enzyme survived slightly longer than spores observed after 24 h of incubation. The new system shows promise for evaluating flash sterilization cycles within 60 min compared with conventional 24-h systems.