MAGNETIC-RESONANCE MICROSCOPY - A NEW TOOL FOR THE TOXICOLOGIC PATHOLOGIST

Parallel to its many applications in medical imaging, magnetic resonan ce (MR) microscopy is a potentially powerful tool in toxicologic patho logy. Because of the intrinsic qualities of MR microscopy (noninvasive ness, 3-dimensionality, and slicing in any chosen plane), the scientis t has a new means by which to investigate different types of lesions b ased on differential contrast. By choosing appropriate proton stains t o probe the state of the water in tissues, organ structure and vascula ture can be seen and progressive lesion development can be followed in a given animal. This paper discusses toxicologic pathology applicatio ns for MR microscopy and compares MR microscopy with conventional hist opathology using a time-course study of bromobenzene-induced hepatotox icity in rats. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained histological sectio ns are compared with MR microscopy images from fixed tissue blocks to demonstrate one of the applications of MR microscopy to toxicologic pa thology. The results indicate that MR microscopy is as sensitive as co nventional H&E staining in detecting bromobenzene-induced hepatic lesi ons.