Magnetic Resonance Imaging as an In-Vivo Tool for Evaluating Efficacy of Brain Edema Prevention Therapy in a Rat Stroke Model

Denise C. Welsh¹, Andrew Danziger², Theodore Detwiler², Hillary Regan², Joseph J. Lynch², Christopher P. Regan², Donald S. Williams¹, Alexandre Coimbra¹

While numerous studies have used MRI techniques for studying stroke pathology, there has been limited use of MR parameters as in vivo markers of novel treatment efficacy. Here, Gd-enhanced T1-w and T2-w MR data were used to verify the efficacy of pre- and post-infarct treatment with a novel KDR kinase inhibitor (KDRi) known to reduce vascular permeability and therefore, BBB leakage. In line with previously published ex-vivo data (1), in-vivo MRI results suggest efficacy of KDRi treatment in reducing BBB leakage and edema formation, as indicated by tissue water content.