Successful Serial Imaging of the Mouse Cerebral Arteries Using Conventional 3-T Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Issue 9 (September 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Makino, Hiroshi; Hokamura, Kazuya; Natsume, Takahiro; Kimura, Tetsuro; Kamio, Yoshinobu; Magata, Yasuhiro; Namba, Hiroki; Katoh, Takasumi; Sato, Shigehito; Hashimoto, Tomoki; Umemura, Kazuo
• Is Part Of: Journal of cerebral blood flow & metabolism. Volume 35:Issue 9(2015)
• Page Start: 1523
• Page End: 1527
• Publication Date: 2015-09
• Subjects: animal model -- intracranial aneurysm -- magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) -- subarachnoid hemorrhage -- T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); Cerebral circulation -- Periodicals; Brain -- Metabolism -- Periodicals; Brain -- Blood-vessels -- Periodicals; Cerebrovascular disease -- Periodicals; 612.824
• DOI: 10.1038/jcbfm.2015.78
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0271-678X

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.