Abstract #3945

Solid-State 1H and 31P MRI Detects Changes in Bone Mineralization and Water Content in OVX Rat Bone in Response to Treatment with Alendronate

Sailaja Anumula¹, Debra Horng¹, Suzanne L. Wehrli², Jeremy Magland¹, Felix W. Wehrli¹

¹Department of Radiology, Laboratory for Structural NMR Imaging, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA; ²NMR Core Facility, The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA

We hypothesize that hormone loss following menopause results in decreased degree of mineralization of bone (DMB) and increased water content. The antiresorptive agent alendronate (ALN) is known to increase DMB to a level similar to that in premenopausal women. We test the above hypothesis by quantifying bone mineral phosphorus and water content by 3D radial 31P and 1H imaging in ovariectomized rats in response to treatment with ALN. The results support our hypothesis and are in agreement with other means of mineral and water quantification.