Quantitative MR Imaging of Vertebral Disc and Bone Marrow in Chronic Kidney Disease: A Rat Model Study
Chao-Ying Wang1, Yu-Juei Hsu2, Yi-Jen Peng3, Yi-Chih Hsu4, Shih-Wei Chiang4,5, Ming-Huang Lin6, Hsiao-Wen Chung5, and Guo-Shu Huang4,7

1Department and Institute of Biology and Anatomy, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, 2Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, 3Department of Pathology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, 4Department of Radiology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, 5Graduate Institute of Biomedical Electronics and Bioinformatics, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, 6Institute of BiomedicalSciences, Academic Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan, 7Department of Medical Research, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan

Synopsis

An animal study to investigate bone marrow changes in the lumbar spine by quantitative Magenetic Resonance Imaging

Purpose

PURPOSE

The study aims to investigate vertebral disc and bone marrow changes in the lumbar spine in a rat model of chronic kidney disease (CKD) induced by subtotal nephrectomy using quantitative multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Twelve rats (n=6 each group) were randomly separated into two groups. Group 1 was the normal control group. Group 2 was the CKD (subtotal nephrectomy) group. The lumbar spines of all rats were imaged and measured by MR T2* mapping, dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI), and sequential changes in the regions of interest (ROIs) including bone marrow of vertebral bodies and intervertebral discs were monitored at 0, 8, 12, 16, 24, and 30 weeks after surgery (Figure 1). The MR spectroscopy (MRS) ROI in our study was manually placed in the vertebral bodies at L3 level of the lumbar spine.

RESULTS

MRS of the L3 vertebral body bone marrow showed increased lipid content in CKD group at 24 and 30 weeks compared to the control group (Figure 2). At 24 and 30 weeks in the CKD group (compared with the control group), T2* values were significantly higher in the L3 vertebral body, L3-4 intervertebral disc, L4 vertebral body, and L4-5 intervertebral disc (p values<0.05)(Figure 3) and perfusion parameter (A) decreased significantly in the L3 vertebral body, L3-4 intervertebral disc, L4 vertebral body, and L4-5 intervertebral disc (all p values <0.05)(Figure 4).

CONCLUSION

Quantitative MR T2*, DCE-MRI, and MRS measurements of CKD-related changes of lumbar spine are feasible. Sequential changes in imaging biomarkers can be documented over time in vertebral body bone marrow and intervertebral discs. This information could be potentially useful for in vivo monitoring of degenerative disc and related vertebral bone marrow hypoperfusion and degradation of the lumbar spine in CKD disease progression.

Acknowledgements

No acknowledgement found.

References

1. Griffith JF, Yeung DK, Antonio GE, et al. Vertebral bone mineral density, marrow perfusion, and fat content in healthy men and men with osteoporosis: dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging and MR spectroscopy. Radiology 2005;236:945-51.

2. Mosher TJ, Dardzinski BJ, Smith MB. Human articular cartilage: influence of aging and early symptomatic degeneration on the spatial variation of T2 - preliminary findings at 3 T. Radiology 2000;214:259-66.

Figures

Lumbar spine ROI

Localization of ROI on MRS, and water and lipid results in the control and CKD groups

T2* map results in different ROIs of the control and CKD groups

DCE map results in different ROIs of the control and CKD groups



Proc. Intl. Soc. Mag. Reson. Med. 24 (2016)
4471