title: Monitoring Ischemic Cerebral Injury in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats by Diffusion Tensor Imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We have applied diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to interrogate microstructural changes in white matter integrity in a widely used middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model of cerebral ischemia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed ex vivo DTI 35 days after 60 minutes transient focal ischemia in male spontaneously hypertensive rats and generated fractional anisotropy (FA), mean, axial and radial diffusivity maps. Regions of interest corresponding to external capsule (EC), corpus callosum (CC) and internal capsule (IC) were compared among sham and stroked rats. We compared tractographic projections of white matter fiber patterns and examined white matter integrity by Luxol fast blue histological analysis. We also determined infarct lesion volumes at 24 hours post-ischemia by T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or at 35 days by histological staining with cresyl violet.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found alterations in EC and IC, but not CC, as represented by decreased FA and increased mean, axial and radial diffusivities. The size of the ischemic lesion detected subacutely by T2-weighted MRI or at 35 days by histological staining correlated with the decline in FA in the affected structures. Tractography revealed disruption of fiber trajectories through the EC and reorientation of fibers within the caudate/putamen of rats subjected to MCAO. Similarly, loss of white matter integrity in the EC and increased white matter density in the caudate/putamen along the infarct border zone was evidenced by Luxol fast blue staining.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diffusion tensor imaging therefore allows for monitoring of white matter injury and reorganization in hypertensive rats.
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Neurological Surgery, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Kujoth
authors.forename: Gabriel F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.forename: Ulas
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Cikla
authors.forename: Erinc
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Akture
authors.forename: Kutluay
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uluc
authors.forename: Chihwa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Tomer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hananya
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sadighi
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferrazzano
authors.forename: Mustafa K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Baskaya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016880:Anisotropy; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology