In vivo gallbladder bile diffusion coefficient measurement by diffusion-weighted echo planar imaging in hamster fed...

It is shown that in vivo measurement of bile water apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) by diffusion-weighted echo-planar imaging (EPI) in hamster gallbladder is possible providing motion artifact-free ADC values. These ADC values are used to estimate bile viscosity variation induced by normal diets, cholesterol gallstone-inducing diets, and an antilithiasic drug, and to determine if a link exists between bile viscosity and cholesterol gallstone formation. Measurements were performed at 4.7 T with respiratory triggering in five groups of hamsters fed a commercial (RC) or a semisynthetic (SSD) diet, a SSD containing 0.2% hyodeoxycholic acid (SSD+HDC) and two lithogenic diets (LD5, LD10). ADC decreased significantly in LD10 (2.15+/-0.07x 10(-3) mm(2)s(-1)) and SSD+HDC (2.03+/-0.04) compared to RC (2.40+/-0.05) but not in the most lithogenic LD5 diet (2.33+/-0.06). No direct relationship was found between bile viscosity and gallstone incidence; however, viscosity seems to be related to lipid contents of diets. Magn Reson Med 43:854-859, 2000.