Non-Gaussian Diffusion Models and T1 rho Quantification in the Assessment of Hepatic Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome in Rats

Jian Lyu; Guixiang Yang; Yingjie Mei; Li Guo; Yihao Guo; Xinyuan Zhang; Yikai Xu; Yanqiu Feng

doi:10.1002/jmri.27156

Non-Gaussian Diffusion Models and T₁ rho Quantification in the Assessment of Hepatic Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome in Rats

J Magn Reson Imaging. 2020 Oct;52(4):1110-1121. doi: 10.1002/jmri.27156. Epub 2020 Apr 4.

Authors

Jian Lyu^{1

2}, Guixiang Yang^{3

4}, Yingjie Mei⁵, Li Guo^{1

2

6}, Yihao Guo^{1

2}, Xinyuan Zhang^{1

2}, Yikai Xu^{3

4}, Yanqiu Feng^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ School of Biomedical Engineering, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
² Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Medical Image Processing, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
³ Department of Medical Imaging Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
⁵ Philips Healthcare, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
⁶ Department of MRI, The First People's Hospital of Foshan (Affiliated Foshan Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University), Foshan, Guangdong, China.

PMID: 32246796
DOI: 10.1002/jmri.27156

Abstract

Background: Non-Gaussian diffusion models and T₁ rho quantification may reflect the changes in tissue heterogeneity in hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS).

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), stretched exponential model (SEM), and T₁ rho quantification in detecting and staging SOS in a monocrotaline (MCT)-induced rat model.

Study type: Animal study.

Population: Thirty male Sprague-Dawley rats gavaged with MCT to induce hepatic SOS and six male rats without any intervention.

Field strength/sequence: 3.0T, DWI with five b-values (0-2000 s/mm² ) and T₁ rho with five spin lock times (1-60 msec).

Assessment: MRI was performed 1 day before and 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 days after MCT administration. The corrected apparent diffusion coefficient (D_app ), kurtosis coefficient (K_app ), distributed diffusion coefficient (DDC), and intravoxel water molecular diffusion heterogeneity (α) were calculated from the corresponding non-Gaussian diffusion model. The T₁ rho value was calculated using a monoexponential model. Specimens obtained from the six timepoints were categorized into normal liver (n = 6), early-stage (n = 16), and late-stage (n = 14) SOS in accordance with the pathological score.

Statistical tests: Parametric statistical methods and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were employed to determine diagnostic accuracy.

Results: The D_app , K_app , DDC, α, and T₁ rho values were correlated with pathological score with r values of -0.821, 0.726, -0.828, -0.739, and 0.714 (all P < 0.001), respectively. DKI (combined D_app and K_app ) and SEM (combined DDC and α) were better than T₁ rho for staging SOS. The areas under the ROC curve of DKI, SEM, and T₁ rho for differentiating normal liver and early-stage SOS were 0.97, 1.00, and 0.79, whereas those of DKI, SEM, and T₁ rho for differentiating early-stage and late-stage SOS were 1.00, 0.97, and 0.92, respectively.

Data conclusion: DKI, SEM, and T₁ rho may be helpful in staging SOS.

Level of evidence: 2 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;52:1110-1121.

Keywords: T1rho; diffusion kurtosis imaging; diffusion-weighted imaging; hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome; stretched exponential.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease* / chemically induced
Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease* / diagnostic imaging
Male
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley