Induced Hepatic Fibrosis in Rats: Hepatic Steatosis, Macromolecule Content, Perfusion Parameters, and Their Correlations—Preliminary MR Imaging in Rats

Purpose: To prospectively evaluate magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for the characterization of liver fibrosis by estimating fat and extracellular matrix content and hepatic perfusion parameters in CCl4-treated rats. Materials and Methods: The animal research protocol was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Fifty-two rats (38 treated, 14 control) were included. A CCl4 mixture was injected three times per week for 2–16 weeks. Fat-to-water ratios (FWRs) were calculated. Images were obtained with 12 saturation offset frequencies; magnetization transfer ratios (MTRs) were calculated. Distribution volume (DV), mean transit time (MTT), and portal fraction (PF) of blood inflow were calculated. For pairwise group comparisons, an unequal two-tailed Student t test was used. For pairwise correlations between variables, Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated. For multiple pairwise comparisons, Bonferroni correction was performed by adjusting the significance level (α). Results: FWR a...