Measurement of In Vivo Tracer Distribution during CED in the Rat Brain using DCE-MRI

摘要

Direct tissue infusion, e.g., convection enhanced delivery (CED), is a promising local delivery technique for bypassing the blood brain barrier (BBB) and treating diseases of the central nervous system.In vivo direct infusion of albumin tracers tagged with MR-visible contrast agents was performed in the dorsal hippocampus of the rat brain. Tl-weighted dynamic contrast enhanced MR imaging (DCE-MRI) provided consecutive MR images to track contrast agents distribution during CED. The infusate preferentially transported laterally along the CA1 and molecular layer of the dentate gyrus subregions of the hippocampus. This study demonstrates that during CED, tracer distribution is influenced by underlying tissue structure and the extent of backflow.