EVALUATION OF WATER-MOLECULES IN THE COLD-PRESERVED RAT-LIVER BY PROTON MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING

Hypothermically preserved rat livers were studied with proton magnetic resonance imaging (H-1-MRI) under proton density-, spin-lattice relax ation time-, spin-spin relaxation time- and diffusion-weighted (P-W, T -1-W, T-2-W and D-W) conditions. Relative signal intensities (RSI) of the Liver to distilled water in terms of P-W, T-1-W, T-2-W and D-W inc reased time-dependently during 12 h hypothermic (4 degrees C) preserva tion with saline, while these parameters did not increase during prese rvation with University of Wisconsin (UW) solution. One-how Wiggers' h ypotensive treatment before the harvesting increased the RSIs of P-W, T-2-W and D-W, and the subsequent 12-hour preservation with UW solutio n did not improve the increased RSIs. These results suggest that H-1-M RI has potential application in evaluating the biophysical changes of water molecules in the liver graft, which were measured by placing the harvested liver in a plastic bag under a magnetic field at a low temp erature.