DEVELOPMENT OF HYPERPOLARIZED HELIUM FOR ASSESSING INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASE

这个子项目是利用资源的许多研究子项目之一。 由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。对子项目的主要支持 子项目的首席调查员可能是由其他来源提供的， 包括美国国立卫生研究院的其他来源。为子项目列出的总成本可能 表示该子项目使用的中心基础设施的估计数量， 不是由NCRR赠款提供给次级项目或次级项目工作人员的直接资金。 特发性肺纤维化(IPF)是一种病因不明的弥漫性实质性肺疾病(DPLD)。尽管经过了几十年的研究，但没有任何治疗方法被证明可以稳定或改善 疾病。特发性肺间质纤维化的诊断比较困难。胸部的高分辨率CT扫描漏诊了10%以上 活组织检查证实有生理意义的IPF[4]。从生理上讲，DPLD组是 以顺应性降低(V/P)和肺容量减少为特征。磁共振成像技术出现 独一无二地适合显示DPLD的生理和结构变化。这些测量是非侵入性的，重复性很高，最重要的是提供了地区性信息。超极化气体磁共振技术最近被开发来识别局部肺泡大小， 肺顺应性和肺泡氧水平是DPLD的重要参数。然而，这些 这项技术还没有被常规地应用于小动物。我们的目标是证明三个 新的超极化气体指标，肺顺应性，局部肺泡大小和肺泡氧水平， 是唯一适用于测量与肺纤维化相关的肺改变的仪器。这些 测量可能导致更好的诊断肺纤维化的手段，并 监测对治疗的反应。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. Primary support for the subproject and the subproject's principal investigator may have been provided by other sources, including other NIH sources. The Total Cost listed for the subproject likely represents the estimated amount of Center infrastructure utilized by the subproject, not direct funding provided by the NCRR grant to the subproject or subproject staff. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD) of unknown etiology. Despite several decades of investigation, no treatment has been shown to stabilize or improve the disease. The diagnosis of IPF is difficult. High-resolution CT scans of the chest miss over 10% of biopsy proven and physiologically significant IPF [4]. Physiologically the group of DPLD are characterized by decreased compliance (V/P) and reduced lung volumes. MRI techniques appear to be uniquely suited to demonstrate the physiological and structural changes in the DPLD. The measurements are non-invasive, highly reproducible, and most importantly give regional information. Hyperpolarized gas MRI techniques have recently been developed to identify regional alveolar size, lung compliance, and alveolar oxygen levels, important parameters in DPLD. However, these techniques have not been routinely applied to small animals. We aim to demonstrate that three novel hyperpolarized gas metrics, lung compliance, regional alveolar size and alveolar oxygen levels, are uniquely suited to measuring lung alterations associated with pulmonary fibrosis. These measurements can potentially lead to better means of diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis and to monitor responses to treatment.