Influence of copper concentrations on signal intensity on T1-weighted images of the livers of Long-Evans Cinnamon rats

The effect of hepatic copper on MR imaging is still controversial. To investigate whether abnormally accumulated copper changes signal intensity of the liver on MR images, we performed MR imaging of the livers of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, and Long-Evans Cinnamon (LEC) rats which develop hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma due to an abnormal copper metabolism. The livers of LEC rats were imaged before developing hepatitis; absence of hepatic disease and accumulation of copper were confirmed histopathologically. Signal intensity of T1-weighted images of the livers of LEC rats was not significantly different from that of SD rats. The result suggests that hepatic copper, even though it accumulates abnormally, does not influence signal intensity of MR images. (author)