High-Resolution Imaging of Vessels in the Isolated Rat Brain

Matthias F. Valverde Salzmann¹, Nikos Logothetis¹, Rolf Pohmann²

High-resolution imaging of the vessels of the isolated rat brain was achieved by perfusing the animal with Gd- or FeO-based contrast agent. Imaging at isotropic resolutions of 45 m and 50 m at a field strength of 16.4 T resulted in excellent presentation of large and medium-sized vessels with Gd, and down to relatively small size in the FeO-enhanced images. A comparison to histologic sections revealed a highly reliable depiction even of the surface vessels.