Yohan van de Looij1,2, Graldine Favrais3, Pierre Gressens3, Petra S. Hppi1, Rolf Gruetter4,5, Stphane V. Sizonenko1
1Division of Child Growth & Development, Department of Pediatrics, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; 2Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging, Ecole Polytechnique Fdrale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; 3INSERM-UMR676, France; 4Laboratory for Functional and Metabolic Imaging, Ecole Polytechnique Fdrale de Lausanne , Lausanne, Switzerland; 5Department of Radiology, University of Geneva and Lausanne, Switzerland
On early preterm infants, diffuse and focal white matter injury is one of the predominant forms of brain damage. Leukoencephalopathy occurs primarily in the white matter and involves defects in either the formation or the maintenance of the myelin sheath. The aim of this work was to study mechanisms of leukoencephalopathy on a mouse model obtained by interleukin (IL-1β) injection by the way of DTI and histopathology. DTI results correlated with histology provide evidence for a quantitative and diffuse myelination defect as well as a decrease of axonal diameter. IL-1β mouse model gives a better understanding of LEP mechanisms.