%0 Journal Article
%T In vivo Hyperpolarized Metabolic Imaging to Monitor the Progression of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)-Related Hepatitis to Liver Fibrosis.
%A Moon CM
%A Heo SH
%A Jeong YY
%A Lee YY
%A Kim SK
%A Shin SS
%J Mol Imaging Biol
%V 26
%N 4
%D 2024 Aug 11
%M 38992246
%F 3.484
%R 10.1007/s11307-024-01936-8
%X <B>OBJECTIVE: </B>This study aimed to assess metabolic changes to monitor the progression from normal liver to hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatitis and liver fibrosis using hyperpolarized 13C magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).<BR><B>METHODS: </B>Hepatitis was induced in mice (n = 16) via hydrodynamic injection of HBV 1.2 plasmid (25 μg). Among them, liver fibrosis was induced in the mice (n = 8) through weight-adapted administration of thioacetamide with ethanol. Normal control mice (n = 8) were injected with a phosphate buffer solution. Subsequently, a hyperpolarized 13C MRI was performed on the mouse liver in vivo. The level of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in blood serum was measured. Statistical analysis involved comparing the differential metabolite ratios, blood biochemistry values, and body weight among the three groups using the Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>HBsAg was absent in the normal and fibrosis groups, while it was detected in the hepatitis group. The ratios of [1-13C] lactate/pyruvate, [1-13C] alanine/pyruvate, [1-13C] lactate/total carbon, and [1-13C] alanine/total carbon were significantly lower in the normal control group than in the hepatitis and fibrosis groups (p < 0.05). Moreover, these ratios were significantly higher in the fibrosis group than in the hepatitis group (p < 0.05). However, no significant differences were observed in either [1-13C] pyruvate-hydrate/pyruvate or [1-13C] pyruvate-hydrate/total carbon among the three groups.<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>The levels of [1-13C] lactate and [1-13C] alanine in vivo may serve as valuable indicators for differentiating between HBV-related hepatitis, liver fibrosis, and normal liver.