NMR-microscopy with TrueFISP at 11.75T

On the application of balanced steady-state free precession to MR microscopy

OBJECTIVE

The applicability of the balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) sequence to the field of MR microscopy was investigated, since the potentially high SNR makes bSSFP attractive. However, particularly at ultra-high magnetic fields, a number of constraints emerge: the frequency sensitivity of the bSSFP signal, the duty cycle of the imaging gradients, and the intrinsic diffusion attenuation of the steady state due to the imaging gradients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Optimization of the bSSFP sequence was performed on three imaging systems (7 T and 9.4 T) suited for MR microscopy. Since biological samples are often imaged in the very proximity of materials from sample containers/holder or devices such as electrodes, several microscopy phantoms representing such circumstances were fabricated and examined with 3D bSSFP.

RESULTS

Artifact-free microscopic bSSFP images could be obtained with voxel sizes down to 16 µm × 16 µm × 78 µm and with an SNR gain of 25% over standard gradient echo images.

CONCLUSION

With appropriate choice of phantom materials, optimization of the flip angle to the diffusion-attenuated steady state and protocols considering duty-cycle limitations, bSSFP can be a valuable tool in MR microscopy.

Spin echo based cardiac diffusion imaging at 7T: An ex vivo study of the porcine heart at 7T and 3T

Purpose of this work was to assess feasibility of cardiac diffusion tensor imaging (cDTI) at 7 T in a set of healthy, unfixed, porcine hearts using various parallel imaging acceleration factors and to compare SNR and derived cDTI metrics to a reference measured at 3 T. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed on 7T and 3T whole body systems using a spin echo diffusion encoding sequence with echo planar imaging readout. Five reference (b = 0 s/mm2) images and 30 diffusion directions (b = 700 s/mm2) were acquired at both 7 T and 3 T using a GRAPPA acceleration factor R = 1. Scans at 7 T were repeated using R = 2, R = 3, and R = 4. SNR evaluation was based on 30 reference (b = 0 s/mm2) images of 30 slices of the left ventricle and cardiac DTI metrics were compared within AHA segmentation. The number of hearts scanned at 7 T and 3 T was n = 11. No statistically significant differences were found for evaluated helix angle, secondary eigenvector angle, fractional anisotropy and apparent diffusion coefficient at the different field strengths, given sufficiently high SNR and geometrically undistorted images. R≥3 was needed to reduce susceptibility induced geometric distortions to an acceptable amount. On average SNR in myocardium of the left ventricle was increased from 29±3 to 44±6 in the reference image (b = 0 s/mm2) when switching from 3 T to 7 T. Our study demonstrates that high resolution, ex vivo cDTI is feasible at 7 T using commercial hardware.

High field magnetic resonance imaging of rodents in cardiovascular research

Transgenic and gene knockout rodent models are primordial to study pathophysiological processes in cardiovascular research. Over time, cardiac MRI has become a gold standard for in vivo evaluation of such models. Technical advances have led to the development of magnets with increasingly high field strength, allowing specific investigation of cardiac anatomy, global and regional function, viability, perfusion or vascular parameters. The aim of this report is to provide a review of the various sequences and techniques available to image mice on 7-11.7 T magnets and relevant to the clinical setting in humans. Specific technical aspects due to the rise of the magnetic field are also discussed.

Small-animal MRI: signal-to-noise ratio comparison at 7 and 1.5 T with multiple-animal acquisition strategies

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to compare the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of phantom and rat brain images performed at 1.5 T on a clinical MR system and at 7 T on a small-animal experimental system. Comparison was carried out by taking into account SNR values based on a single sample acquisition at 1.5 and 7 T as well as on simultaneous imaging of multiple samples at 1.5 T.

METHODS

SNR was experimentally assessed on a phantom and rat brains at 1.5 and 7 T using 25 mm surface coils and compared to theoretical SNR gain estimations. The feasibility of multiple-animal imaging, using the hardware capabilities available on the 1.5 T system, was demonstrated. Finally, rat brain images obtained on a single animal at 7 T and on multiple animals acquired simultaneously at 1.5 T were compared.

RESULTS

Experimentally determined SNR at 7 T was far below theoretical estimations. Taking into account chemical shift, susceptibility artifacts and modifications of T1 and T2 relaxation times at higher field, a 7-T system holds limited advantage over a 1.5-T system. Instead, a multiple-animal acquisition methodology was demonstrated on a clinical 1.5-T scanner. This acquisition method significantly increases imaging efficiency and competes with single animal acquisitions at higher field.

CONCLUSION

Multiple-animal imaging using a standard clinical scanner has a great potential as a high-throughput acquisition method for small animals.

Relaxometry model of strong dipolar perturbers for balanced-SSFP: application to quantification of SPIO loaded cells

Magnetic resonance microscopy using magnetically labeled cells is an emerging discipline offering the potential for non-destructive studies targeting numerous cellular events in medical research. The present work develops a technique to quantify superparamagnetic iron-oxide (SPIO) loaded cells using fully balanced steady state free precession (b-SSFP) imaging. An analytic model based on phase cancellation was derived for a single particle and extended to predict mono-exponential decay versus echo time in the presence of multiple randomly distributed particles. Numerical models verified phase incoherence as the dominant contrast mechanism and evaluated the model using a full range of tissue decay rates, repetition times, and flip angles. Numerical simulations indicated a relaxation rate enhancement (DeltaR(2b)=0.412 gamma . LMD) proportional to LMD, the local magnetic dose (the additional sample magnetization due to the SPIO particles), a quantity related to the concentration of contrast agent. A phantom model of SPIO loaded cells showed excellent agreement with simulations, demonstrated comparable sensitivity to gradient echo DeltaR(*) (2) enhancements, and 14 times the sensitivity of spin echo DeltaR(2) measurements. We believe this model can be used to facilitate the generation of quantitative maps of targeted cell populations.

Stem cell implantation in ischemic mouse heart: a high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging investigation

Advances in the biology of stem cells have evoked great interest in cell replacement therapies for the regeneration of heart tissue after myocardial infarction. However, results from human trials are controversial, since the destination of the injected cells, their engraftment and their long-term fate have remained unclear. Here we investigate whether transplanted cells can be identified in the intact and lesioned murine myocardium employing high-resolution MRI. Cardiac progenitor cells, expressing the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), were labeled with ultra-small paramagnetic iron-oxide (USPIO) nanoparticles and transplanted into the intact or injured myocardium of mice. Their precise location was determined with high-resolution MRI and compared with histological tissue sections, stained with Prussian blue for iron content. These experiments showed that iron nanoparticle-loaded cells could be identified at high resolution in the mouse heart. However, ischemic myocardium (after cryoinjury or left coronary artery ligation) was characterized by a signal attenuation similar to that induced by USPIO-labeled cells in T2*-weighted MR images, making detection of labeled stem cells in this area by T2*-sensitive contrast rather difficult. In animals with myocardial injury only, the signal attenuated areas were of the same size in proton density- and T2*-weighted MR images. In injured animals also receiving labeled cells the lesioned area appeared larger in T2*--than in proton density-weighted MR images. This sequence-dependent lesion size change is due to the increased signal loss caused by the iron oxide nanoparticles, most sensitively detectable in the T2*-sensitive images. Thus, using the novel combination of these two parameter weightings, USPIO-labeled cells can be detected at high resolution in ischemic myocardium.

MR imaging of caveolin gene-specific alterations in right ventricular wall thickness

Caveolin-1 and caveolin-3 are expressed in the mammalian heart. Mice deficient in caveolin 1 or 3 exhibit cardiac abnormalities including left ventricular hypertrophy and reduced fractional shortening. Cardiac imaging technologies such as transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac-gated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are effective tools for the study of left ventricular morphology and function in mice; however, there has not been widespread use of these technologies in studies of right ventricular morphology. In particular, right ventricular wall thickness has been difficult to assess using cardiac imaging technologies. We report here the use of centerline analysis of cardiac-gated MR images to more accurately determine right ventricular wall thickness in the mouse heart. Right ventricular wall thickness was evaluated in Cav-1 null, Cav-3 null and Cav-1/3 null mice, as well as wild-type control mice. Using this technique, we find that caveolin null mice exhibit significant thickening of the right ventricular wall as compared with age-matched wild-type controls. Interestingly, right ventricular wall thickening is greatest in the Cav-1/3 null mice. Furthermore, significant right ventricular wall thickening is also seen in the Cav-1 null mice. Histological analyses revealed right ventricular hypertrophy consistent with the imaging results. These studies demonstrate the utility of MRI in determining right ventricular wall thickness and underscore the severity of the right ventricular hypertrophy in caveolin null mice.

In vivo detection limits of magnetically labeled embryonic stem cells in the rat brain using high-field (17.6 T) magnetic resonance imaging

Stem cell transplantation is a promising therapeutic approach for several neurological disorders. However, it has yet to fulfill its high expectations, partially due to the lack of a reliable noninvasive method for monitoring the biodistribution of the grafted stem cells in vivo. We have used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 17.6 T, combined with efficient magnetic labeling of the stem cells with iron oxide nanoparticles, in order to assess the in vivo detection limit in small animal models. Injection of different concentrations of magnetically labeled stem cells in gel phantoms led to significant reductions in image intensity from small cellular clusters of less than 10 cells. To determine the detection limit in vivo, various numbers of both labeled and unlabeled cells were injected stereotactically into the striatum of rats. Significant hypointense signal changes were observed for 100 labeled cells. After injection of approximately 20 labeled cells, signal reduction at the injection site was observed but could not be assigned unambiguously to the cells. Our results show that high-field MRI allows tracking of a minimal number of cells in vivo, well below the number used in previous studies, opening the possibility of gaining new insights into cell migration and differentiation.

In vivo magnetic resonance imaging of single cells in mouse brain with optical validation

In the current work we demonstrate, for the first time, that single cells can be detected in mouse brain in vivo using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Cells were labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles and injected into the circulation of mice. Individual cells trapped within the microcirculation of the brain could be visualized with high-resolution MRI using optimized MR hardware and the fast imaging employing steady state acquisition (FIESTA) pulse sequence on a 1.5 T clinical MRI scanner. Single cells appear as discrete signal voids on MR images. Direct optical validation was provided by coregistering signal voids on MRI with single cells visualized using high-resolution confocal microscopy. This work demonstrates the sensitivity of MRI for detecting single cells in small animals for a wide range of application from stem cell to cancer cell tracking.

Current status of cardiac MRI in small animals

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on small animals is possible but remains challenging and not well standardized. This publication aims to provide an overview of the current techniques, applications and challenges of cardiac MRI in small animals for researchers interested in moving into this field. Solutions have been developed to obtain a reliable cardiac trigger in both the rat and the mouse. Techniques to measure ventricular function and mass have been well validated and are used by several research groups. More advanced techniques like perfusion imaging, delayed enhancement or tag imaging are emerging. Regarding cardiac applications, not only coronary ischemic disease but several other pathologies or conditions including cardiopathies in transgenic animals have already benefited from these new developments. Therefore, cardiac MRI has a bright future for research in small animals.