In-vivo quantitative hydrolipidic map of perirenal adipose tissue by chemical shift imaging at 4.7 Tesla

OBJECTIVE: In this work, chemical shift magnetic resonance imaging is used for in vivo quantitative evaluation of fat and water content in the perirenal white adipose tissue. DESIGN AND MEASUREMENTS: Experiments were carried out on female Sprague-Dawley rats with a 4.7T magnet. Fat and water fractions were computed pixel-by-pixel from the chemical shift selective images with an algorithm of reconstruction that allowed parametric maps (called hydrolipidic maps) to be produced with a pixel size of 625x625 μm. RESULTS: Our findings indicate that, in the perirenal adipose tissue, the water content ranges between 15% and 20%, with slight differences between the ventral and dorsal portions, and between the left and right deposits. The mesenteric adipose tissue, observed for comparison, has a mean water content of 30%. CONCLUSION: The present work demonstrates that methods based on magnetic resonance imaging can be useful tools for non-invasive in vivo quantitative mapping of the hydrolipidic content of adipose tissues.