Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging in assessment of the blood-retinal barrier.
Application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in two-dimensional quantitative assessment of blood-retinal barrier dysfunction was investigated in rabbits using a 0.1 T (4.25 MHz) resistive system. Reliable and consistent measurements of vitreous T1 were obtained repeatedly, in slices of width 5 mm and X-Y resolution of 1.2 mm. Calibration of reduction of T1 in eyes after injection of gadolinium-DTPA (Gd-DTPA) was performed, resulting in a dose-related response of relaxation rate (1/T1) to the dose of Gd-DTPA injected. Follow-up scans of injected eyes demonstrated a gradual spread of the T1 "hot-spot" as the contrast agent diffused through the vitreous. T1 rose gradually to basal levels by 72 hr. No local effect of Gd-DTPA was found by ophthalmoscopy. Xenon arc photocoagulation of rabbit retina reduced T1 from 1638 +/- 54 (n = 6, mean +/- SD) ms to 1408 +/- 118 (n = 4) msec (P less than 0.01) throughout the vitreous 5-7 hr after treatment. In treated rabbits receiving 1.0 mmol/l Gd-DTPA intravenously, T1 adjacent to lesions 90-120 min after injection was further reduced in a 63 microliter voxel to 670 +/- 50 ms (mean +/- SD, n = 5) with a minimum pixel value of 285 +/- 52 ms. It was estimated that this represented leakage into vitreous of 8.3 nmol Gd-DTPA. Plasma Gd-DTPA concentrations declined rapidly, with half-life of 20-40 min. The findings indicate that MRI is a technique with the potential for repeated quantitative three-dimensional assessment of blood-retinal barrier dysfunction.
Plehwe
W E
WE
Department of Medicine, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
McRobbie
D W
DW
Lerski
R A
RA
Kohner
E M
EM
D000818:Animals; D001813:Blood-Retinal Barrier; D005682:Gadolinium / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D004369:Pentetic Acid / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D011817:Rabbits; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000378:metabolism*
D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D004369:Pentetic Acid; D005682:Gadolinium; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA