Successful serial imaging of the mouse cerebral arteries using conventional 3-T magnetic resonance imaging.

Abstract

Serial imaging studies can be useful in characterizing the pathologic and physiologic remodeling of cerebral arteries in various mouse models. We tested the feasibility of using a readily available, conventional 3-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to serially image cerebrovascular remodeling in mice. We utilized a mouse model of intracranial aneurysm as a mouse model of the dynamic, pathologic remodeling of cerebral arteries. Aneurysms were induced by hypertension and a single elastase injection into the cerebrospinal fluid. For the mouse cerebrovascular imaging, we used a conventional 3-T MRI system and a 40-mm saddle coil. We used non-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) to detect intracranial aneurysm formation and T2-weighted imaging to detect aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. A serial MRI was conducted every 2 to 3 days. MRI detection of aneurysm formation and subarachnoid hemorrhage was compared against the postmortem inspection of the brain that was perfused with dye. The imaging times for the MRA and T2-weighted imaging were 3.7±0.5 minutes and 4.8±0.0 minutes, respectively. All aneurysms and subarachnoid hemorrhages were correctly identified by two masked observers on MRI. This MRI-based serial imaging technique was useful in detecting intracranial aneurysm formation and subarachnoid hemorrhage in mice.

• Authors: Hiroshi Makino, Kazuya Hokamura, Takahiro Natsume, Tetsuro Kimura, Yoshinobu Kamio, Yasuhiro Magata, Hiroki Namba, Takasumi Katoh, Shigehito Sato, Tomoki Hashimoto, Kazuo Umemura
• Journal: Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism : official journal of the International Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism (J Cereb Blood Flow Metab) Vol. 35 Issue 9 Pg. 1523-7 (Sep 2015) ISSN: 1559-7016 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25920958 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Topics

• Animals
• Cerebral Angiography
• Cerebral Arteries (diagnostic imaging, physiopathology)
• Disease Models, Animal
• Intracranial Aneurysm (chemically induced, diagnostic imaging, physiopathology)
• Magnetic Resonance Angiography
• Male
• Mice