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Monitoring In-Vivo the Mammary Gland Microstructure during Morphogenesis from Lactation to Post-Weaning Using Diffusion Tensor MRI

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Abstract

Lactation and the return to the pre-conception state during post-weaning are regulated by hormonal induced processes that modify the microstructure of the mammary gland, leading to changes in the features of the ductal / glandular tissue, the stroma and the fat tissue. These changes create a challenge in the radiological workup of breast disorder during lactation and early post-weaning. Here we present non-invasive MRI protocols designed to record in vivo high spatial resolution, T2-weighted images and diffusion tensor images of the entire mammary gland. Advanced imaging processing tools enabled tracking the changes in the anatomical and microstructural features of the mammary gland from the time of lactation to post-weaning. Specifically, by using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) it was possible to quantitatively distinguish between the ductal / glandular tissue distention during lactation and the post-weaning involution. The application of the T2-weighted imaging and DTI is completely safe, non-invasive and uses intrinsic contrast based on differences in transverse relaxation rates and water diffusion rates in various directions, respectively. This study provides a basis for further in-vivo monitoring of changes during the mammary developmental stages, as well as identifying changes due to malignant transformation in patients with pregnancy associated breast cancer (PABC).

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Acknowledgements

The professional work of the MR imaging technicians, Fanny Attar and Nachum Stern, is gratefully acknowledged. H. Degani holds the Fred and Andrea Fallek Chair for Breast Cancer Research. E. Furman-Haran holds the Calin and Elaine Rovinescu Research Fellow Chair for Brain Research.

Author information

Author notes

  1. Noam Nissan

    Present address: Diagnostic Imaging Department, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, P.O. Box 26, 7610001, Rehovot, Israel

    Noam Nissan, Dov Grobgeld & Hadassa Degani

  2. Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel

    Edna Furman-Haran

  3. Department of Radiology, Meir Medical Center, Kfar Saba, Israel

    Myra Shapiro-Feinberg

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  1. Noam Nissan
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  2. Edna Furman-Haran
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  5. Hadassa Degani
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Correspondence to Hadassa Degani.

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Nissan, N., Furman-Haran, E., Shapiro-Feinberg, M. et al. Monitoring In-Vivo the Mammary Gland Microstructure during Morphogenesis from Lactation to Post-Weaning Using Diffusion Tensor MRI. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia 22, 193–202 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10911-017-9383-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10911-017-9383-x

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