• Original Article •
In vivo semiquantitative evaluation of liver fat content in alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver rat models: comparison between dual-echo T1-weighted imaging and 1H-MR spectroscopy with correlation of histopathology
DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1674-8034.2010.03.010.
| [Abstract] Objective: To investigate the values of 1H-MR spectroscopy (1H-MRS) and gradient-echo T1-weighted MR imaging (in-phase and opposed-phase) in quantifying liver fat content (LFC) in rat models of both nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and alcoholic liver disease (ALD).Materials and Methods: Total 120 healthy Sprague-Dawle male rats were randomly divided into control group, fatty liver group, alcoholic fatty liver group, and mixed models group. At the baseline, 4th, 8th, and 12th week, at least 6 or more rats were selected to receive dual-echo T1W imaging and 1H-MRS of the liver. Fat indexes (FI) for dual-echo T1W imaging and relative lipid content (RLC) of 1H-MRS were measured and compared to pathological grades of fatty liver.Results: Both FI of dual-echo T1W and RLC of 1H-MRS were correlated linearly with the histopathological grading (P<0.01, r=0.54-0.96). RLC (r=0.89-0.96) showed much closer correlation with histopathology than FI (r=0.54-0.85) in all the experimental rat models. For FI, the differences between the normal and mild, mild and moderate steatosis were not significant (P>0.05), while RLC demonstrated significant differences between the normal and each grade of steatosis (P<0.01). For ALD, RLC and FI have the similar values as to fatty liver content (rRLC=0.886, rFI=0.854), whereas RLC was superior to FI for NAFLD (rRLC=0.95-0.96, rFI=0.54-0.65).Conclusion: In vivo 1H-MRS and dual-echo T1W can quantitatively evaluate both NAFLD and ALD in rat models. 1H-MRS is more accurate and reliable for discrimination mild fatty liver and in NAFLD. |
| [Keywords] Fatty liver；Magnetic resonance spectroscopy；Gradient echo duo-echo technique |
YANG Ning-jing Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; Sichuan Cancer Hospital, Chengdu 610041, China
SONG Bin* Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
TANG He-han Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
CHEN Guang-wen Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
*Correspondence to: Song B, E-mail:cjr.songbin@vip.163.com
Conflicts of interest None.
| Received 2010-01-15 |
| Accepted 2010-03-31 |
| DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-8034.2010.03.010 |
| DOI:10.3969/j.issn.1674-8034.2010.03.010. |
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