C. Cohensolal et al., MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING FOR THE VISUALIZATION OF CHOLESTEROL GALLSTONES IN HAMSTER FED A NEW HIGH SUCROSE LITHOGENIC DIET, Journal of hepatology, 22(4), 1995, pp. 486-494
Cholesterol gallstone induction in hamster gallbladder is usually achi
eved by specific diets. An X-ray in vivo follow-up of cholelithiasis d
evelopment in this species is impossible, since cholesterol gallstones
are transparent as long as they are not calcified. Moreover, their si
ze (0.2 to 1 mm) also prevents their detection by ultrasonography. The
current study presents an in vivo cholesterol gallstone detection by
magnetic resonance imaging in hamsters fed a new high sucrose diet con
taining a low proportion of cholesterol (0.015%) and a normal ratio of
lipids (10%). The diet produced gallstones and an increase in the cho
lesterol saturation index in about 50% of animals after a 5-week feedi
ng period, The visualization of gallstones by magnetic resonance imagi
ng in anaesthetized animals required synchronization between breathing
movements and image acquisition. A high magnetic field was also neces
sary to allow a fine image resolution, adapted to gallstone size. Two
major advantages of this technique are a direct selection of lithiasic
animals with a functional gallbladder (in spite of the presence of ga
llstones) and a possible adjustment of the treatment period of potenti
al litholytic drugs.