We evaluated the effect of sunitinib on melanoma xenografts with dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI), diffusion weighted MRI (DW-MRI), intravital microscopy, and immunohistochemistry. An MR-compatible dorsal window chamber was used to compare parametric MR images with high resolution intravital microscopy images of the tumor vasculature. Sunitinib treatment reduced vessel density, increased the hypoxic tumor fraction, and induced necrosis, and DCE-MRI and DW-MRI were sensitive to these microenvironmental effects. The MR-compatible window chamber allowed daily assessment of both the morphology and function of tumor vasculature and may be a valuable tool to verify treatment-induced effects observed in parametric MR images.
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