title: Magnetic resonance imaging investigation of blood-brain barrier damage in adoptive transfer experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.
abstract: Recent advances in fast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques have allowed quantification of parameters such as T1 relaxation time, which can be modified by changes in the water content of a tissue. We have used this new method to study the evolution of blood-brain barrier (BBB) changes after adoptive transfer of MBP-specific (AT-EAE) and ovalbumin-specific T cell lines in Lewis rats. Measurable changes in T1 relaxation time suggesting widespread increase in BBB permeability were found, starting on day 3 post inoculation (p.i.), in the midbrain and brainstem of AT-EAE rats. In addition, we noted a significant decrease in T1 relaxation time before injection of a paramagnetic agent, in the cisternal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of diseased animals, starting on day 5 p.i. In vitro measurement of T1 in CSF containing various concentrations of albumin, IgM and glucose showed that, at physiological concentrations, a T1 decrease is mainly associated with an increase in albumin concentration. A moderate increase in BBB and blood-CSF barrier permeability was found as early as 4-8 h p.i., in rats injected with MBP-specific as in animals injected with ovalbumin-specific T cell lines, suggesting a non-specific mechanism. Experimental MRI may become a powerful tool to sequentially analyse changes in barrier dynamics, for example following pharmacological intervention.
authors.affiliation: Neurologische Klinik, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Seeldrayers
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Syha
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Morrissey
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Stodal
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vass
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gneiting
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lassmann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haase
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Hartung
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D007116:Immunization, Passive; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013997:Time Factors