Standard commercial chow given to laboratory animals may contain high levels of paramagnetic Mn2+-ions which act as a T1-reducing contrast agent. Signal intensities where Mn2+ is present are increased when using short-TR, T1W-MRI imaging and the GI-tract appears brighter than the rest of the body. As peristalsis is an inherently unstable motional process, high intensity and temporally unstable signals are formed in the GI-tract, creating image-ghosting and decreasing resolution from that prescribed. We present images acquired before and after transition from Mn2+-bearing to Mn2+-free food to show that these deleterious image effects can be reduced through simple dietary formulation change.
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