Abstract #2298

Mechanisms of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Change at Early and Late Stages of Apoptosis

Colleen Bailey^1,2, Anoja Giles^1,3, Gregory J. Czarnota^1,3, Greg J. Stanisz^1,2

¹Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; ²Imaging Research, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada; ³Radiation Oncology and Imaging Research, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada

Acute myeloid leukemia cells were treated with cisplatin to induce apoptosis. Diffusion MRI at a range of b-values yielded apparent diffusion coefficients that were not significantly different from controls at early stages of apoptosis, but were significantly higher at late stages. These changes cannot be fully accounted for by increased extracellular water and volume fractions. A component of the increase may be due to altered cell shape from membrane blebbing.