Measurement of MR signal and T2* in lung to characterize a tight skin mouse model of emphysema using single-point imaging
✍ Scribed by Lars E. Olsson; Maria Lindahl; Per-Ola Önnervik; Lars B. Johansson; Malin Palmér; Martina Kvist Reimer; Leif Hultin; Paul D. Hockings
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2007
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 375 KB
- Volume
- 25
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 1053-1807
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✦ Synopsis
Abstract
Purpose
To evaluate whether MRI signal and T2* measurements of lung tissue acquired at ultrashort detection times (tds) can detect emphysematous changes in lungs.
Materials and Methods
MR signal intensity of in vivo mouse lungs was measured at 4.7 T at tds of 0.2 and 0.4 msec using single‐point imaging (SPI). T2* was calculated from the measurements obtained at the two tds. Two groups of 8‐ and 30‐week‐old Tight Skin (TS) and aged‐matched CB57BL/6 mice were examined. The TS mice spontaneously developed emphysema‐like alveolar enlargement. In vivo micro‐computed tomography (μCT) scanning and histology were used as reference methods.
Results
MR signal and T2* were significantly lower in the lungs of TS mice than in controls. There were no significant differences between the different age groups. MR signal in lung parenchyma correlated linearly (P < 0.0001, r = 0.89) with μCT mass density, and T2* correlated linearly (P < 0.0001, r = –0.91) with the alveoli size (mean linear intercept [MLI]).
Conclusion
The MR signal intensity and T2* measured at short tds can be used as imaging biomarkers to characterize parenchyma density and alveolar size, respectively. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.