A non-invasive method of quantifying pancreatic volume in mice using micro-MRI

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Imaging
• Preclinical Research

Background:

• Pancreatic research often relies on invasive organ mass measurements in animal models.
• Non-invasive imaging like MRI and CT are standard for human pancreatic assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an optimized, thin-sliced MRI protocol for accurate mouse pancreatic volume calculation.
• To establish a non-invasive method for assessing pancreatic size in preclinical models.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a 7 Tesla Bruker micro-MRI system for abdominal imaging in fixed mice.
• Employed a thin-sliced (0.2-0.4 mm) T1 sequence protocol with 3D reconstruction for volumetric analysis.
• Optimized imaging through heart perfusion-fixation.

Main Results:

• Successfully measured mouse pancreatic volumes using the developed micro-MRI protocol.
• Demonstrated a strong correlation between increasing pancreatic volume and body weight in mice of different ages.
• Established the feasibility of non-invasive pancreatic volume quantification in mice.

Conclusions:

• This is the first study to accurately measure mouse pancreatic volumes using high-field micro-MRI.
• The developed protocol offers a non-invasive alternative to traditional methods, potentially reducing animal numbers in pancreatic studies.
• Micro-MRI is anticipated to enhance the ability to quantify pancreatic size changes in research settings.