Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026
In Vivo Quantitative Assessment of Myocardial Structure, Function, Perfusion and Viability Using Cardiac Micro-computed Tomography
Published on: February 16, 2016
First-pass contrast-enhanced myocardial perfusion MRI in mice on a 3-T clinical MR scanner
Marcus Makowski1, Christian Jansen, Ian Webb
1Division of Imaging Sciences, The Rayne Institute, King's College London, St Thomas' Campus, London, United Kingdom.
Abstract:
First-pass contrast-enhanced myocardial perfusion MRI in rodents has so far not been possible due to the temporal and spatial resolution requirements. We developed a new first-pass perfusion MR method for rodent imaging on a clinical 3.0-T scanner (Philips Healthcare, Best, The Netherlands) that employed 10-fold k-space and time domain undersampling with constrained image reconstruction, using temporal basis sets (k-t principle component analysis) to achieve a spatial resolution of 0.2 × 0.2 × 1.5mm(3) and an acquisition window of 43 msec. The method was successfully tested in five healthy and four infarcted mice (C57BL/6J) at heart rates of 495.1 ± 45.8 beats/min. Signal-intensity-time profiles showed a percentage myocardial signal increase of 141.3 ± 38.9% in normal mice, compared with 44.7 ± 32.4% in infarcted segments. Mean myocardial blood flow by Fermi function for constrained deconvolution in control mice was 7.3 ± 1.5 mL/g/min, comparable to published literature, with no significant differences between three myocardial segments. In infarcted segments, myocardial blood flow was significantly reduced to 1.2 ± 0.8 mL/g/min (P < 0.01). This is the first report of first-pass myocardial perfusion MR in a mouse model on a clinical 3-T MR scanner and using a k-t undersampling method. Data were acquired on a 3-T scanner, using an approach similar to clinical acquisition protocols, thus facilitating translation of imaging findings between rodent and human studies.
Insights
This study introduces a novel first-pass myocardial perfusion MRI method for rodents, achieving high resolution on a clinical 3T scanner. The technique successfully identified reduced blood flow in infarcted mouse hearts, paving the way for translational research.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Medical Physics
- Rodent Models
Background:
- First-pass contrast-enhanced myocardial perfusion MRI in rodents is challenging due to resolution limitations.
- Previous methods lacked the necessary temporal and spatial resolution for accurate rodent imaging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate a novel first-pass perfusion MRI method for rodent imaging on a clinical 3.0-T scanner.
- To achieve high spatial resolution (0.2 × 0.2 × 1.5mm³) and a short acquisition window (43 msec) for rodent myocardial perfusion MRI.
Main Methods:
- Employed 10-fold k-space and time domain undersampling with constrained image reconstruction.
- Utilized temporal basis sets (k-t principle component analysis) for image reconstruction.
- Tested the method in healthy and infarcted mice (C57BL/6J) at high heart rates (495.1 ± 45.8 bpm).
Main Results:
- Achieved high signal increase in normal mouse myocardium (141.3 ± 38.9%) and significantly lower in infarcted segments (44.7 ± 32.4%).
- Demonstrated comparable myocardial blood flow (MBF) in control mice (7.3 ± 1.5 mL/g/min) to published data.
- Showed significantly reduced MBF in infarcted segments (1.2 ± 0.8 mL/g/min, P < 0.01).
Conclusions:
- This is the first report of first-pass myocardial perfusion MRI in a mouse model using a clinical 3-T scanner and k-t undersampling.
- The developed method enables high-resolution rodent imaging, facilitating translation to human studies.
- The technique accurately differentiates myocardial blood flow between healthy and infarcted segments in mice.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System IV: CMRI
01:24Magnetic Resonance Imaging