Title:Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Diffusion-weighted MRI Assessing the Effect of
the Vascular Disrupting Agent CA4P on VX2 Liver Tumors in Rabbits
Volume: 20
Author(s): Ting Qian*, Rong Yang*, Yuzhe Wang*Qingqing Duan
Affiliation:
- Department of Radiology, International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai,
China
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Fifth People's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Radiology, Shanghai Fifth People's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
Keywords:
Rabbits, Intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (IVIM-DW-MRI), Liver neoplasms, Vascular disrupting agent (VDA), Microvascular density (MVD), VX2 tumor.
Abstract:
Objective:
This study aimed to assess the response of combretastatin-A4-phosphate (CA4P) in rabbit VX2 liver tumors using intravoxel incoherent motion
diffusion-weighted MRI (IVIM DW-MRI).
Methods:
Forty rabbits with implanted VX2 liver tumors underwent baseline MRI and were then given 10 mg/kg CA4P (n=20) or saline (n=20). After 4 h,
10 rabbits from each group underwent an MRI examination and were then sacrificed. The remaining rabbits underwent MRI after 1, 3, and 7 days
and were then sacrificed. Liver samples were processed for H&E and immunohistochemical staining. IVIM parameters (D, f, D*) were compared
in the treatment and control groups, and the correlations of IVIM parameters with microvascular density (MVD) were determined.
Results:
At 4 h, the two treatment groups had significantly different f and D* values (p<0.001), and these values were at their minimum in the treatment
group. The treatment group had moderate correlations between MVD and f at 4 h (r=0.676, p=0.032) and 7 days (r=0.656, p=0.039) and with D* at
4 h (r=0.732, p=0.016) and 7 days (r=0.748, p=0.013), but no correlation was reported between MVD and f or D* in the control group (all P>0.05).
Conclusion:
IVIM DW-MRI is a sensitive imaging technique. It successfully evaluated the effect of CA4P on VX2 liver tumors in rabbits. The f and D* values
correlated with MVD at 4 h and 7 days after using CA4P, indicating that these parameters have the potential to be used as indicators of tumor
angiogenesis after treatment.
