In vivo image-guided H-1-magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the serial development of hepatocarcinogenesis in an experimental animal model

Histology on a core or open biopsy is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of tumours. While the non-invasive technique of magnetic resonanc e imaging can direct some of the decision diagnostic making, it has limitat ions and disadvantages, that can be partly overcome with the use of in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). In vivo MRS is able to provide a sp ecific biochemical profile on tumour tissue, compared with normal tissue. T he capability of this technique is demonstrated here by the long-term devel opment of hepatocellular carcinoma in an animal model. It allows the observ ation of the biochemical changes that occur in tumour tissue during its pro gression from preneoplastic nodules to hepatocellular carcinoma. Specifical ly the changes in the lipid profiles of tumour tissue at various stages of development are observed with proton (H-1) MRS. Significant increases occur red in the lipid acyl chain methylene and methyl hydrogens during the early developmental stages of hepatocarcinogenesis, whereas during later stages associated with tumour development there was a significant increase in the levels of olefinic acyl chain hydrogens from unsaturated lipids. It is anti cipated that this model will precede the application of the same technology to the non-invasive diagnosis and grading of human hepatocellular carcinom a. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.