Nuklearmedizin 2020; 59(02): 175
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1708378
Wissenschaftliche Poster
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© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Non invasive in vivo assessment of the hepatic lipid composition in a murine model of acute and chronic carbon tetrachloride induced hepatitis

J Schwenck
1   Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Tübingen
,
B Blöchl
1   Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Tübingen
,
A Schmid
1   Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Tübingen
,
M Martella
2   Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Department of Pathology, Tübingen
,
N Mucha
1   Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Tübingen
,
L Quintanilla-Martinez
2   Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Department of Pathology, Tübingen
,
B Pichler
1   Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Tübingen
,
C la Fougère
3   Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Department of Nuclear Medicine and Clinical Molecular Imaging, Tübingen
,
M Kneilling
1   Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department of Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, Tübingen
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
08 April 2020 (online)

 

Ziel/Aim Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a leading cause of hepatocellular carcinomas. Despite the increasing prevalence invasive biopsies are still the gold standard in NASH diagnostics. Here, we investigated the feasibility of non-invasive in vivo 1 H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in a murine model of acute and chronic carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatitis which exhibits similar histomorphological features like steatohepatitis.

Methodik/Methods To induce acute hepatitis male C57BL/6 mice received a single i.p. CCl4 injection (AH) and repetitive CCl4 injections (3x weekly over five weeks) to induce chronic hepatitis (CH). The hepatic lipid composition in AH and CH was determined by in vivo MRS. Liver tissue underwent histopathological (H&E) and RT-PCR analysis focusing on expression patterns of proinflammatory cytokines. In addition, we analyzed the liver enzymes in the blood serum of mice with AH and CH and conducted flow cytometry in CH liver tissue.

Ergebnisse/Results Using MRS we observed in AH a tendency towards increased hepatic fatty acids and fractional lipid mass compared to healthy mice. Interestingly, the hepatic lipid composition upon CH was not altered compared to healthy mice. Histopathological analysis of AH livers uncovered necrosis, regenerative processes and microsteatosis, whereas CH showed necrosis and steatosis, but only weak inflammation. Alanine transaminase was exclusively elevated in AH serum. RT-PCR analysis revealed a drastically enhanced TNF expression in CH livers when compared to AH, whereas SOD-1 was decreased upon AH and CH compared to healthy livers. Flow cytometry analysis of livers with CH revealed a decreased expression of CD4+ T cells and an increase in regulatory T cells and PD-1+ CD4+ T cell.

Schlussfolgerungen/Conclusions Our results support the feasibility of non-invasive MRS to assess liver tissue changes in CCl4-induced AH and AH. Nevertheless, further studies are needed to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms and the diagnostic capabilities of MRS in NASH patients.