Deuterium MR in Vivo Imaging of the Rat Eye Using 2H 2 O

Abstract

In vivo euterium MR imaging (²H MR) was investigated in rats after intraperitoneal administration of deuterated saline, and a dynamic study of the water movement in rat eyes was performed. Deuterium MR imaging was carried out by means of a gradient-echo (GRE) and a spin-echo (SE) pulse sequence. The rat eye was imaged in ²H MR more selectively by SE than by GRE, but a lower signal-to-noise ratio was obtained in ²H MR imaging using the SE sequence. The MR signal intensity of the rat eye was followed by a 3-compartment model, which enabled determination of the flow rate constant of the water in the eye (0.359/min). Deuterium MR imaging is useful to visualize the dynamic change of water in rat eyes using ²H MR at the same magnetic field (2 T) that can also be used for conventional MR imaging in humans.