Patrick F. Antkowiak1, Moriel H. Vandsburger1, Sarah Tersey2, Raghavendra G. Mirmira2, Frederick H. Epstein1,3
1Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA; 2Medicine, Indiana University; 3Radiology, University of Virginia
In normal individuals, pancreatic beta cells release insulin into the bloodstream after an increase in blood glucose level. In Type 1 diabetes, beta cell mass and function are impaired. Manganese (Mn) enhanced MRI has been used to probe beta cell function; we aimed to extract parameters related to beta cell mass using a two site exchange analysis of Mn-enhanced MR images. Two site exchange analysis revealed that diabetic mice had increased intra- and extracellular compartment T1 values and had a decreased intracellular fraction, consistent with the loss of beta cell mess, as compared to non-diabetic mice.