USPIO High Resolution Neurovascular Imaging of Rat Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Stroke Model

Yimin Shen¹, Weili Zheng¹, Yu-Chung N. Cheng¹, Yuchuan Ding², Jean Sebastien Raynaud³, E. Mark Haacke¹

Our purpose is to determine if USPIO high resolution SWI at 7T sufficiently aid in visualization of collateral vessels in the penumbral area of lesions in a rat MCAO stroke model. Stroke in rats was induced by a 2-hour right MCAO using an intraluminal filament. MRI scans were performed on no stroke (n=1), stoke no treatment (n=5), stroke with sildenafil treatment rats (n=6) at four time points: baseline, 24h post MCAO, two weeks, four weeks. SWI shows clearly the presence of newly developed vessels near periphery of ischemic core in sildenafil treated severe stroke animals after two-week MCAO but not shows in mild stroke animals.