Abstract #0897

In Vivo Longitudinal 1H Spectroscopic Imaging and Diffusion Tensor Imaging Studies at 9.4T in a Rat Model of Chronic Liver Disease

Cristina Cudalbu¹, Valrie McLin², Olivier Braissant³, Nicolas Kunz,¹⁴, Yohan van de Looij,¹⁴, Rolf Gruetter⁵,⁶

¹Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging (LIFMET), Ecole Polytechnique Fdrale de Lausanne (EPFL) , Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland; ²Dpartement de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Unit de Gastroentrologie, Hpatologie et Nutrition, Hpitaux Universitaires de Genve (HUG), Geneva; ³Laboratoire de Chimie Clinique, Dpartement de Pathologie et de Mdecine de Laboratoire, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; ⁴Division of Child Growth & Development, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; ⁵Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging (LIFMET), Ecole Polytechnique Fdrale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Vaud, Switzerland; ⁶Departments of Radiology, Universities of Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland

Chronic liver disease (CLD) is characterized by an array of cognitive and fine motor deficits labeled as hepatic encephalopathy. No in vivo longitudinal Spectroscopic Imaging (1H-SI) or Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) studies were performed in CLD animal models. The aim was to analyze the in vivo alterations in brain osmolytes and brain edema using longitudinal 1H SI and DTI methods at 9.4T. Our preliminary data show that in CLD before the appearance of severe neurological signs, the osmotic imbalance created by the continuous increase of Gln can be compensated by a continuous decrease of other osmolytes with minimal brain edema.