Diffusion tensor imaging and fiber tractography of C6 rat glioma.
OBJECTIVE
To apply diffusion tensor images using 30 noncollinear directions for diffusion-weighted gradient schemes to characterize diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) features associated with C6 glioma-bearing rat brains, and ideally visualize fiber tractography datasets.


METHODS
Fiber tractographies of normal male Fischer 344 rat brains were constructed from DTI datasets acquired with a 30 noncollinear diffusion gradient scheme. Cultured C6 cell were intracranially injected into the cortex of male Fischer 344 rats. The time course of the tumor growth was monitored with DTI and fiber tractography using diffusion-weighting gradients in 30 noncollinear directions.


RESULTS
Fiber tractographies through the corpus callosum (CC) were easily visualized with the 30-direction gradient scheme, and the fiber trajectories of the motor cortex and striatum were well represented in normal rats. Fiber tractography indicated that the neuronal fibers of the CC were compressed or disappeared by growing C6 glioma, which affected surrounding brain tissue.


CONCLUSIONS
We have demonstrated in this study that fiber tractography with the 30 noncollinear diffusion gradient scheme method can be used to help provide a better understanding regarding the influence of a tumor on the surrounding regions of normal brain tissue in vivo.
Asanuma
Taketoshi
T
Small Animal MRI Facility, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104, USA.
Doblas
Sabrina
S
Tesiram
Yasvir A
YA
Saunders
Debra
D
Cranford
Rebecca
R
Pearson
Jamie
J
Abbott
Andrew
A
Smith
Nataliya
N
Towner
Rheal A
RA
D000818:Animals; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D005910:Glioma / Q000473:pathology*; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity