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Non-invasive Free-breathing Gating-free Extracellular Cellular Volume Quantification for Repetitive Myocardial
Devin R E Cortes1,2,3, Thomas Becker-Szurszewski1,3, Sean Hartwick1,3
1Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|August 12, 2025
Summary
This study introduces a fast, non-invasive cardiac MRI (CMR) protocol for measuring extracellular volume (ECV) in rodents. This new method allows for precise, repeated ECV measurements to track cardiovascular disease progression.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Imaging
- Medical Physics
- Rodent Models
Background:
- Interstitial myocardial fibrosis is a key feature in cardiovascular diseases, leading to extracellular volume (ECV) expansion.
- Cardiac MRI (CMR) with T1 mapping quantifies ECV, but longitudinal studies in rodents are hindered by long scan times and invasive procedures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a rapid, free-breathing, gating-free ECV quantification protocol for rodents.
- To enable non-invasive, longitudinal ECV assessments using a subcutaneous catheter for contrast agent administration.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an IntraGate sequence for free-breathing, gating-free cardiac imaging.
- Implemented non-invasive subcutaneous gadolinium (Gd) administration and fast T1 mapping with varied flip angles (VFA).
- Employed triple jugular vein blood T1 normalization for accurate myocardial ECV quantification.
Main Results:
- Successfully established a fast, non-invasive ECV protocol enabling longitudinal rodent studies.
- Demonstrated reproducible left-ventricular myocardial ECV quantification comparable to human and rodent ranges.
- Applied the protocol to an ischemic reperfusion injury model, validating findings with histopathology.
Conclusions:
- Developed a simple, fast, non-invasive, and robust CMR protocol for longitudinal ECV quantification in rodents.
- This protocol facilitates monitoring of cardiovascular disease progression and response to interventions in preclinical models.
