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A Method for Determination and Simulation of Permeability and Diffusion in a 3D Tissue Model in a Membrane Insert System for Multi-well Plates
Published on: February 23, 2018
In vitro experimental study of the relationship between the apparent diffusion coefficient and changes in cellularity
Yoshitsugu Matsumoto1, Masahiro Kuroda, Ryohei Matsuya
1Faculty of Health Sciences, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Department of Radiology, Okayama University Hospital, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8558, Japan.
Oncology Reports
|July 30, 2009
Summary
Investigating apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) changes in tumors using cellular MRI, this study found both intracellular and extracellular spaces significantly influence ADC values. This research offers new insights into tumor imaging mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Imaging
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Tumor Biology
Background:
- Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is crucial for tumor screening, but the precise mechanisms behind apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) changes in tumors are not fully understood.
- Conventional MRI-pathology comparisons cannot differentiate intracellular and extracellular contributions to the MR signal, limiting mechanistic understanding.
- Factors like cellularity, edema, and temperature are known to affect ADC values, necessitating further investigation into their specific roles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the underlying reasons for decreased ADC values in tumors.
- To elucidate the relative contributions of intracellular and extracellular spaces to the overall ADC values in tumorous tissues.
- To explore the potential of cellular MRI using a novel bio-phantom for studying these factors.
Main Methods:
- Development and utilization of a novel bio-phantom containing a living Jurkat-N1 tumor cell line for cellular MRI.
- Systematic variation of experimental conditions including heat exposure (27-45°C), cell membrane integrity (sonication), cellularity, and salt concentration to observe effects on ADC.
- Calculation of intracellular and extracellular ADC values based on measured ADC, cellularity, and cellular volume.
Main Results:
- ADC values increased with rising temperature and after cell membrane disruption via sonication.
- Increased cellularity and cellular edema (induced by low salt concentration) led to decreased ADC values.
- Calculated extracellular ADC values were found to be lower than that of distilled water, indicating a significant contribution to the overall ADC.
- Hydrostatic pressure variations did not affect ADC values.
Conclusions:
- Both intracellular and extracellular spaces play a critical role in determining the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in bio-phantoms containing cultured tumor cells.
- This study provides the first examination of the distinct contributions of intracellular and extracellular compartments to ADC values in a relevant tumor model.
- Findings advance the understanding of diffusion-weighted MRI in oncology and may inform more accurate tumor characterization and diagnosis.

