Liver injury monitoring, fibrosis staging and inflammation grading using T1rho magnetic resonance imaging: an experimental study in rats with carbon tetrachloride intoxication

BACKGROUND: To investigate the merit of T1rho relaxation for the evaluation of liver fibrosis, inflammatory activity, and liver injury monitoring in a carbon tetrachloride (CCl(4))-induced rat model. METHODS: Model rats from CCl(4)-induced liver fibrosis (fibrosis group: n = 41; regression group: n = 20) and control (n = 11) groups underwent black blood T1rho magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (MRI). Injection of CCl(4) was done twice weekly for up to 12 weeks in the fibrosis group and for up to 6 weeks in the regression group. MR scanning time points were at baseline and at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks after CCl(4) injection in the fibrosis group and at baseline and at 2, 4, 6 (CCl(4) withdrawal), 7, 8, 10 and 12 weeks in the regression group. RESULTS: In the fibrosis group, liver T1rho values increased gradually within week 8 and then decreased. In the regression group, T1rho values dropped gradually after the withdrawal of CCl(4) and fell below those at baseline. The T1rho values at S0 were lower than those at any other stage (all P < 0.05). The T1rho values at G0 were significantly lower than those at any other grade, and G1 was lower than G2 (all P < 0.01). The T1rho values mildly correlated with fibrosis stages (r = 0.362) and moderately correlated with grades of inflammation (r = 0.568). The T1rho values of rats with the same inflammation grades showed no significant difference among different fibrosis stages, and the T1rho values at S3 showed a significant difference among different grades of inflammation (P = 0.024). Inflammation grade was an independent variable associated with T1rho values (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: T1rho MRI can be used to monitor CCl(4)-induced liver injury, and inflammatory activity had a greater impact on liver T1rho values than fibrosis.