Amide proton transfer imaging in rats after heatstroke

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Imaging
• Physiology
• Neurology

Background:

• Metabolic acidosis is a common complication of heatstroke (HS).
• Understanding internal environment changes during HS is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.
• Current diagnostic methods for HS may not fully capture the extent of physiological disruption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate internal environment alterations in a heatstroke model using amide proton transfer (APT) imaging.
• To assess the diagnostic potential of APT imaging for heatstroke.
• To investigate the feasibility of using APT imaging to monitor heatstroke progression.

Main Methods:

• Nineteen male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control (CTRL) and heatstroke (HS) groups.
• All rats underwent 7.0-T MRI, including T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) and APT imaging.
• APT values were measured in the hippocampus, thalamus, and corpus callosum; follow-up scans were performed on surviving HS rats.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in APT values were observed between CTRL and HS groups in the hippocampus, thalamus, and corpus callosum (P < 0.05).
• Follow-up scans in the HS group showed normalized APT values, suggesting recovery.
• APT imaging demonstrated sensitivity in detecting HS-induced changes in specific brain regions.

Conclusions:

• Amide proton transfer (APT) imaging is a viable tool for diagnosing heatstroke by detecting associated internal environment changes.
• APT imaging can potentially monitor the progression and recovery of heatstroke.
• This MRI technique offers a practical approach for evaluating HS-related physiological disruptions.