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Christa M, Dithmar F, Weinaus T, Kohlhaas M, Arias-Loza AP, Hofmann M, Elabyad IA, Gutjahr FT, Maack C, Bauer WR. A new approach to characterize cardiac sodium storage by combining fluorescence photometry and magnetic resonance imaging in small animal research. Sci Rep 2024; 14:2426. [PMID: 38287086 PMCID: PMC10825176 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-52377-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Cardiac myocyte sodium (Na+) homoeostasis is pivotal in cardiac diseases and heart failure. Intracellular Na+ ([Na+]i) is an important regulator of excitation-contraction coupling and mitochondrial energetics. In addition, extracellular Na+ ([Na+]e) and its water-free storage trigger collagen cross-linking, myocardial stiffening and impaired cardiac function. Therefore, understanding the allocation of tissue Na+ to intra- and extracellular compartments is crucial in comprehending the pathophysiological processes in cardiac diseases. We extrapolated [Na+]e using a three-compartment model, with tissue Na+ concentration (TSC) measured by in vivo 23Na-MRI, extracellular volume (ECV) data calculated from T1 maps, and [Na+]i measured by in vitro fluorescence microscopy using Na+ binding benzofuran isophthalate (SBFI). To investigate dynamic changes in Na+ compartments, we induced pressure overload (TAC) or myocardial infarction (MI) via LAD ligation in mice. Compared to SHAM mice, TSC was similar after TAC but increased after MI. Both TAC and MI showed significantly higher [Na+]i compared to SHAM (around 130% compared to SHAM). Calculated [Na+]e increased after MI, but not after TAC. Increased TSC after TAC was primarily driven by increased [Na+]i, but the increase after MI by elevations in both [Na+]i and [Na+]e.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Christa
- Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University and University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Würzburg, Oberdürrbacher Straße 6, Haus A3, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Franziska Dithmar
- Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University and University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Würzburg, Oberdürrbacher Straße 6, Haus A3, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Weinaus
- Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University and University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Würzburg, Oberdürrbacher Straße 6, Haus A3, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Michael Kohlhaas
- Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University and University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Anahi-Paula Arias-Loza
- Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University and University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Michelle Hofmann
- Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University and University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ibrahim A Elabyad
- Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University and University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Christoph Maack
- Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University and University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang R Bauer
- Comprehensive Heart Failure Center, University and University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Würzburg, Oberdürrbacher Straße 6, Haus A3, 97080, Würzburg, Germany
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Chen YC, Zheng G, Donner DG, Wright DK, Greenwood JP, Marwick TH, McMullen JR. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging for sequential assessment of cardiac fibrosis in mice: technical advancements and reverse translation. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2024; 326:H1-H24. [PMID: 37921664 PMCID: PMC11213480 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00437.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has become an essential technique for the assessment of cardiac function and morphology, and is now routinely used to monitor disease progression and intervention efficacy in the clinic. Cardiac fibrosis is a common characteristic of numerous cardiovascular diseases and often precedes cardiac dysfunction and heart failure. Hence, the detection of cardiac fibrosis is important for both early diagnosis and the provision of guidance for interventions/therapies. Experimental mouse models with genetically and/or surgically induced disease have been widely used to understand mechanisms underlying cardiac fibrosis and to assess new treatment strategies. Improving the appropriate applications of CMR to mouse studies of cardiac fibrosis has the potential to generate new knowledge, and more accurately examine the safety and efficacy of antifibrotic therapies. In this review, we provide 1) a brief overview of different types of cardiac fibrosis, 2) general background on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), 3) a summary of different CMR techniques used in mice for the assessment of cardiac fibrosis including experimental and technical considerations (contrast agents and pulse sequences), and 4) provide an overview of mouse studies that have serially monitored cardiac fibrosis during disease progression and/or therapeutic interventions. Clinically established CMR protocols have advanced mouse CMR for the detection of cardiac fibrosis, and there is hope that discovery studies in mice will identify new antifibrotic therapies for patients, highlighting the value of both reverse translation and bench-to-bedside research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Ching Chen
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Diabetes, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gang Zheng
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Daniel G Donner
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Diabetes, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - David K Wright
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - John P Greenwood
- Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas H Marwick
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- Department of Cardiology, Royal Hobart Hospital, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Julie R McMullen
- Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Diabetes, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Microbiology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia
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Coletti C, Fotaki A, Tourais J, Zhao Y, van de Steeg-Henzen C, Akçakaya M, Tao Q, Prieto C, Weingärtner S. Robust cardiac T 1 ρ $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1_{\boldsymbol{\rho}}} $$ mapping at 3T using adiabatic spin-lock preparations. Magn Reson Med 2023; 90:1363-1379. [PMID: 37246420 PMCID: PMC10984724 DOI: 10.1002/mrm.29713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The aim of this study is to develop and optimize an adiabaticT 1 ρ $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1\uprho} $$ (T 1 ρ , adiab $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1\uprho, \mathrm{adiab}} $$ ) mapping method for robust quantification of spin-lock (SL) relaxation in the myocardium at 3T. METHODS Adiabatic SL (aSL) preparations were optimized for resilience againstB 0 $$ {\mathrm{B}}_0 $$ andB 1 + $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1^{+} $$ inhomogeneities using Bloch simulations. OptimizedB 0 $$ {\mathrm{B}}_0 $$ -aSL, Bal-aSL andB 1 $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1 $$ -aSL modules, each compensating for different inhomogeneities, were first validated in phantom and human calf. MyocardialT 1 ρ $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1\uprho} $$ mapping was performed using a single breath-hold cardiac-triggered bSSFP-based sequence. Then, optimizedT 1 ρ , adiab $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1\uprho, \mathrm{adiab}} $$ preparations were compared to each other and to conventional SL-preparedT 1 ρ $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1\uprho} $$ maps (RefSL) in phantoms to assess repeatability, and in 13 healthy subjects to investigate image quality, precision, reproducibility and intersubject variability. Finally, aSL and RefSL sequences were tested on six patients with known or suspected cardiovascular disease and compared with LGE,T 1 $$ {\mathrm{T}}_1 $$ , and ECV mapping. RESULTS The highestT 1 ρ , adiab $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1\uprho, \mathrm{adiab}} $$ preparation efficiency was obtained in simulations for modules comprising 2 HS pulses of 30 ms each. In vivoT 1 ρ , adiab $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1\uprho, \mathrm{adiab}} $$ maps yielded significantly higher quality than RefSL maps. Average myocardialT 1 ρ , adiab $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1\uprho, \mathrm{adiab}} $$ values were 183.28± $$ \pm $$ 25.53 ms, compared with 38.21± $$ \pm $$ 14.37 ms RefSL-preparedT 1 ρ $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1\uprho} $$ .T 1 ρ , adiab $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1\uprho, \mathrm{adiab}} $$ maps showed a significant improvement in precision (avg. 14.47± $$ \pm $$ 3.71% aSL, 37.61± $$ \pm $$ 19.42% RefSL, p < 0.01) and reproducibility (avg. 4.64± $$ \pm $$ 2.18% aSL, 47.39± $$ \pm $$ 12.06% RefSL, p < 0.0001), with decreased inter-subject variability (avg. 8.76± $$ \pm $$ 3.65% aSL, 51.90± $$ \pm $$ 15.27% RefSL, p < 0.0001). Among aSL preparations,B 0 $$ {\mathrm{B}}_0 $$ -aSL achieved the better inter-subject variability. In patients,B 1 $$ {\mathrm{B}}_1 $$ -aSL preparations showed the best artifact resilience among the adiabatic preparations.T 1 ρ , adiab $$ {\mathrm{T}}_{1\uprho, \mathrm{adiab}} $$ times show focal alteration colocalized with areas of hyper-enhancement in the LGE images. CONCLUSION Adiabatic preparations enable robust in vivo quantification of myocardial SL relaxation times at 3T.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Coletti
- Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Anastasia Fotaki
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joao Tourais
- Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Yidong Zhao
- Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | | | - Mehmet Akçakaya
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, University of Minnesota, Minnesota, USA
| | - Qian Tao
- Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Claudia Prieto
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- School of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Milleniun Institute for Intelligent Healthcare Engineering, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sebastian Weingärtner
- Department of Imaging Physics, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
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Tolkkinen K, Mailhiot SE, Selent A, Mankinen O, Henschel H, Nieminen MT, Hanni M, Kantola AM, Liimatainen T, Telkki VV. SPICY: a method for single scan rotating frame relaxometry. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:13164-13169. [PMID: 37129427 PMCID: PMC10171246 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp05988f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
T 1ρ is an NMR relaxation mode that is sensitive to low frequency molecular motions, making it an especially valuable tool in biomolecular research. Here, we introduce a new method, SPICY, for measuring T1ρ relaxation times. In contrast to conventional T1ρ experiments, in which the sequence is repeated many times to determine the T1ρ time, the SPICY sequence allows determination of T1ρ within a single scan, shortening the experiment time remarkably. We demonstrate the method using 1H T1ρ relaxation dispersion experiments. Additionally, we combine the sequence with spatial encoding to produce 1D images in a single scan. We show that T1ρ relaxation times obtained using the single scan approach are in good agreement with those obtained using the traditional experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anne Selent
- NMR Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
| | - Otto Mankinen
- NMR Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
| | - Henning Henschel
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Miika T Nieminen
- Research Unit of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
- Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
| | - Matti Hanni
- Research Unit of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
- Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
| | - Anu M Kantola
- NMR Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
| | - Timo Liimatainen
- Research Unit of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
- Medical Research Center Oulu, University of Oulu and Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland
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Gram M, Gensler D, Albertova P, Gutjahr FT, Lau K, Arias-Loza PA, Jakob PM, Nordbeck P. Quantification correction for free-breathing myocardial T 1ρ mapping in mice using a recursively derived description of a T 1ρ* relaxation pathway. J Cardiovasc Magn Reson 2022; 24:30. [PMID: 35534901 PMCID: PMC9082875 DOI: 10.1186/s12968-022-00864-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fast and accurate T1ρ mapping in myocardium is still a major challenge, particularly in small animal models. The complex sequence design owing to electrocardiogram and respiratory gating leads to quantification errors in in vivo experiments, due to variations of the T1ρ relaxation pathway. In this study, we present an improved quantification method for T1ρ using a newly derived formalism of a T1ρ* relaxation pathway. METHODS The new signal equation was derived by solving a recursion problem for spin-lock prepared fast gradient echo readouts. Based on Bloch simulations, we compared quantification errors using the common monoexponential model and our corrected model. The method was validated in phantom experiments and tested in vivo for myocardial T1ρ mapping in mice. Here, the impact of the breath dependent spin recovery time Trec on the quantification results was examined in detail. RESULTS Simulations indicate that a correction is necessary, since systematically underestimated values are measured under in vivo conditions. In the phantom study, the mean quantification error could be reduced from - 7.4% to - 0.97%. In vivo, a correlation of uncorrected T1ρ with the respiratory cycle was observed. Using the newly derived correction method, this correlation was significantly reduced from r = 0.708 (p < 0.001) to r = 0.204 and the standard deviation of left ventricular T1ρ values in different animals was reduced by at least 39%. CONCLUSION The suggested quantification formalism enables fast and precise myocardial T1ρ quantification for small animals during free breathing and can improve the comparability of study results. Our new technique offers a reasonable tool for assessing myocardial diseases, since pathologies that cause a change in heart or breathing rates do not lead to systematic misinterpretations. Besides, the derived signal equation can be used for sequence optimization or for subsequent correction of prior study results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximilian Gram
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Experimental Physics 5, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Gensler
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Comprehensive Heart Failure Center (CHFC), University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Petra Albertova
- Experimental Physics 5, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Fabian Tobias Gutjahr
- Experimental Physics 5, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Comprehensive Heart Failure Center (CHFC), University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Kolja Lau
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Paula-Anahi Arias-Loza
- Comprehensive Heart Failure Center (CHFC), University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | | | - Peter Nordbeck
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
- Comprehensive Heart Failure Center (CHFC), University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
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Noncontrast T1ρ dispersion imaging is sensitive to diffuse fibrosis: A cardiovascular magnetic resonance study at 3T in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Magn Reson Imaging 2022; 91:1-8. [PMID: 35525524 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2022.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To determine the sensitivity of a noncontrast T1 dispersion cardiovascular magnetic resonance technique for detecting diffuse fibrosis in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). METHODS Thirty-two adult HCM patients and ten age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers were prospectively included in this study. Patients and controls underwent cine, T1ρ-mapping, and pre- and post-contrast T1-mapping imaging using a 3-T magnetic resonance system. Myocardial extracellular volume fraction (ECV) maps were obtained using pre- and post-contrast T1 maps to determine reference values for diffuse fibrosis. Myocardial T1ρ and T1ρ dispersion maps called myocardial fibrosis index (mFI) maps provided 570 myocardial segments for Pearson or Spearman correlation analysis. The left ventricle myocardia of the HCM patients were divided into 16 segments that were further classified as either normal-thickness myocardium (<15 mm) (HCM-N) or hypertrophic myocardium (≥15 mm) (HCM-H). RESULTS ECV and mFI values increased progressively on a per-segment basis from healthy controls to the HCM-N group and then to the HCM-H group (ECV: 27.4 ± 2.8% vs. 31.1 ± 4.2% vs. 37.6 ± 6.9%, respectively [P < 0.0001]; mFI: 6.1 ± 0.9 ms vs. 8 ± 1.9 ms vs. 11 ± 3.3 ms, respectively [P < 0.0001]). There was a strong positive correlation between the segmented ECV and the mFI (r = 0.878). The mFI was equally or significantly better than the ECV for differentiating fibrosis content in HCM-N and HCM-H according to their receiver operating characteristic curves. CONCLUSION A T1ρ dispersion imaging mFI can sensitively detect diffuse myocardial fibrosis in HCM, even in HCM-N.
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