Textural Features of Mouse Glioma Models Measured by Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MR Images with 3D Isotropic Resolution.

This paper investigates the effect of anisotropic resolution on the image textural features of pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters of a murine glioma model using dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MR images acquired with an isotropic resolution at 7T with pre-contrast T1 mapping. The PK parameter maps of whole tumors at isotropic resolution were generated using the two-compartment exchange model combined with the three-site-two-exchange model. The textural features of these isotropic images were compared with those of simulated, thick-slice, anisotropic images to assess the influence of anisotropic voxel resolution on the textural features of tumors.

Simultaneous estimation of the cellular water exchange rate, intracellular volume fraction, and longitudinal relaxation rate in cancer cells.

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the feasibility of simultaneously estimating the cellular water efflux rate ( ), intracellular longitudinal relaxation rate ( ), and intracellular volume fraction ( ) of a cell suspension using multiple samples with different gadolinium concentrations. Numerical simulation studies were conducted to assess the uncertainty in the estimation of , , and from saturation recovery data using single (SC) or multiple concentrations (MC) of gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA). In vitro experiments with 4 T1 murine breast cancer and SCCVII squamous cell cancer models were conducted at 11 T to compare parameter estimation using the SC protocol with that using the MC protocol.

Evaluation of cellular water exchange in a mouse glioma model using dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI with two flip angles.

This manuscript aims to evaluate the robustness and significance of the water efflux rate constant (k) parameter estimated using the two flip-angle Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced (DCE) MRI approach with a murine glioblastoma model at 7 T. The repeatability of contrast kinetic parameters and k measurement was assessed by a test-retest experiment (n = 7). The association of k with cellular metabolism was investigated through DCE-MRI and FDG-PET experiments (n = 7).

Assessment of tumor treatment response using active contrast encoding (ACE)-MRI: Comparison with conventional DCE-MRI.

Purpose: To investigate the validity of contrast kinetic parameter estimates from Active Contrast Encoding (ACE)-MRI against those from conventional Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced (DCE)-MRI for evaluation of tumor treatment response in mouse tumor models.

Methods: The ACE-MRI method that incorporates measurement of T1 and B1 into the enhancement curve washout region, was implemented on a 7T MRI scanner to measure tracer kinetic model parameters of 4T1 and GL261 tumors with treatment using bevacizumab and 5FU. A portion of the same ACE-MRI data was used for conventional DCE-MRI data analysis with a separately measured pre-contrast T1 map.