title: Computed microtomography visualization and quantification of mouse ischemic brain lesion by nonionic radio contrast agents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the possibility of brain imaging by microcomputed tomography (microCT) using x-ray contrasting methods to visualize mouse brain ischemic lesions after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO).
  
  
  METHODS
  Isolated brains were immersed in ionic or nonionic radio contrast agent (RCA) for 5 days and subsequently scanned using microCT scanner. To verify whether ex-vivo microCT brain images can be used to characterize ischemic lesions, they were compared to Nissl stained serial histological sections of the same brains. To verify if brains immersed in RCA may be used afterwards for other methods, subsequent immunofluorescent labeling with anti-NeuN was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nonionic RCA showed better gray to white matter contrast in the brain, and therefore was selected for further studies. MicroCT measurement of ischemic lesion size and cerebral edema significantly correlated with the values determined by Nissl staining (ischemic lesion size: P=0.0005; cerebral edema: P=0.0002). Brain immersion in nonionic RCA did not affect subsequent immunofluorescent analysis and NeuN immunoreactivity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MicroCT method was proven to be suitable for delineation of the ischemic lesion from the non-infarcted tissue, and quantification of lesion volume and cerebral edema.
authors: Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia.
authors: Marina
authors: M
authors: Dobrivojević
authors: Ivan
authors: I
authors: Bohaček
authors: Igor
authors: I
authors: Erjavec
authors: Dunja
authors: D
authors: Gorup
authors: Srećko
authors: S
authors: Gajović
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000473:pathology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003287:Contrast Media; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D007472:Iohexol; D007483:Iothalamic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D003287:Contrast Media; D007483:Iothalamic Acid; D007472:Iohexol; C002587:ioxitalamic acid