In vivo MR imaging of pulmonary arteries of normal and experimental emboli in small animals

✍ Scribed by Mathieu Lederlin; Eric Thiaudiere; François Laurent; Jean-Michel Franconi; Elodie Parzy

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 442 KB
• Volume: 24
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1053-1807
• DOI: 10.1002/jmri.20780

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Purpose

To demonstrate the feasibility of pulmonary MRA in living rodents.

Materials and Methods

A three‐dimensional (3D) gradient echo sequence was adapted to perform a time‐of‐flight (TOF) angiography of rat lung. Angiogram with a spatial resolution of 195 × 228 × 228 μm^3^ was acquired in around 33 minutes. The method was then applied in animals before and after pulmonary embolism (PE) induction. Section of the proximal right pulmonary artery was measured and compared between the two populations.

Results

Good quality images were obtained with a contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CNR) of 9 ± 3 in the proximal part of the pulmonary artery. Cross‐section areas of the right main artery are statistically different before (3.45 ± 0.69 mm^2^) and after induction of PE (4.3 ± 0.86 mm^2^).

Conclusion

This noninvasive tool permits angiogram acquisition at around 200 μm spatial resolution and objective distinction between healthy and embolized arteries. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.