Vascular perfusion of human lung cancer in a rat orthotopic model using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.
Lung cancer is the leading cause of death among cancers. Early detection and diagnosis present a major goal in the efforts to improve survival rates of lung cancer patients. Changes in angiogenic activity and microvascular perfusion properties in cancers can serve as markers of malignancy. The aim of this study was to employ MRI means to measure the microvascular perfusion parameters of orthotopic nonsmall cell lung cancer, using the experimental rat model. Anatomical and dynamic contrast-enhanced lung images were acquired at high spatial resolution, and registered and analyzed, pixel by pixel and globally, by means of a model-based algorithm. The MRI output yielded color-coded parametric images of the influx and efflux transcapillary transfer constants that indicated rapid microvascular perfusion. The transfer constants were about 1 order of magnitude higher than those found in other tumors or in nonorthotopic lung cancer, with the influx constant median value of 0.42 min(-1) and the efflux constant median value of 1.61 min(-1). The rapid perfusion was in accord with the immunostaining of the capillaries, which suggested the tumor exploitation of the existing alveolar vessels. The results showed that high resolution, dynamic, contrast-enhanced MRI is an effective tool for the quantitative measurement of spatial and temporal changes in lung cancer perfusion and vasculature.
Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.
Yael
Y
Rosen
Gregory
G
Ramniceanu
Raanan
R
Margalit
Dov
D
Grobgeld
Raya
R
Eilam
Hadassa
H
Degani
Edna
E
Furman-Haran
D000465:Algorithms; D000818:Animals; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000098:blood supply*; D003287:Contrast Media; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D051381:Rats; D013997:Time Factors
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA