DETECTION OF BROMOBENZENE-INDUCED HEPATOCELLULAR NECROSIS USING MAGNETIC-RESONANCE MICROSCOPY

The authors used magnetic resonance (MR) microscopy to assess hepatic tissue damage induced by bromobenzene both in living rats and in fixed rat liver tissues, Experiments were conducted at 7 Tesla on three gro ups of Fisher rats treated with bromobenzene at a single dose of 68, 1 35, and 269 mg/kg, respectively, Optical microscopy of hematoxylin and eosin stained sections showed liver damage only at the highest dose, whereas with MR microscopy, tissue alterations were detected at all th ree doses both in vivo and ex vivo, The contrast mechanism of the supe rior sensitivity of MR microscopy is believed to be related to the cha nges in local diffusion coefficients that accompany cellular degenerat ion and death, although other contrast mechanisms may also be involved , The superior sensitivity of MR microscopy, as demonstrated in this s tudy, has many implications for potential use of MR techniques to perf orm in vivo histology.