Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy in experimental brain edema in a rat model.

Many aspects of the use of high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging in the examination of brain edema have not been fully explored. These include the quantitation of edema fluid, the ability to distinguish between various types of edema, and the extent to which tissue changes other than a change in water content can affect NMR relaxation times. The authors have compared NMR relaxation times obtained by both in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and in vitro NMR spectroscopy of brain-tissue samples from young adult rats with cold lesions, fluid-percussion injury, hypoxic-ischemic injury, bacterial cerebritis, and cerebral tumor. Changes in relaxation times were compared with changes in brain water content, cerebral blood volume, and the results of histological examination. In general, both in vivo and in vitro longitudinal relaxation times (T1) and transverse relaxation times (T2) were prolonged in the injured hemispheres of all experimental groups. Water content of tissue from the injured hemispheres was increased in all groups. A linear correlation between T2 (but not T1) and water content was found. Changes in the values of T1 and T2 could be used to distinguish tumor from cold-injured tissue. Cerebral blood volume was reduced in the injured hemispheres and correlated inversely with prolongation of T1 and T2. The results of this study suggest that, in a clinical setting, prolongation of T2 is a better indicator of increased water content than prolongation of T1, yet quantitation of cerebral edema based solely upon prolongation of in vivo or in vitro T1 and T2 should be undertaken with caution.

[1]  E. Hirsch,et al.  Triple-tracer technique for measuring red-blood-cell, plasma and extracellular-fluid volume. , 1968, Journal of nuclear medicine : official publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine.

[2]  M Brant-Zawadzki,et al.  Nuclear magnetic resonance: principles of blood flow imaging. , 1983, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[3]  D. Chang,et al.  On the state of water in developing muscle: a study of the major phase of ordered water in skeletal muscle and its relationship to sodium concentration. , 1971, The Johns Hopkins medical journal.

[4]  M. Brock,et al.  The determination of brain water content: microgravimetry versus drying-weighing method. , 1982, Journal of neurosurgery.

[5]  C. Tanaka,et al.  Proton nuclear magnetic resonance studies on brain edema. , 1982, Journal of neurosurgery.

[6]  A. Marmarou,et al.  An improved gravimetric measure of cerebral edema. , 1982, Journal of neurosurgery.

[7]  R. Vré.  The NMR studies of water in biological systems. , 1980 .

[8]  G M Bydder,et al.  Clinical NMR imaging of the brain in children: normal and neurologic disease. , 1983, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[9]  J. Economou,et al.  Nuclear magnetic resonance studies of cancer. IV. Correlation of water content with tissue relaxation times. , 1974, Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

[10]  J. Leigh,et al.  Changes of tissue water proton relaxation rates during early phases of chemical carcinogenesis. , 1975, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[11]  C. Hazlewood,et al.  Nuclear magnetic resonance patterns of intracellular water as a function of HeLa cell cycle. , 1976, Science.

[12]  I. Kuntz,et al.  Water in biological systems. , 1977, The New England journal of medicine.

[13]  R. E. Steiner,et al.  Clinical NMR imaging of the brain: 140 cases , 1982 .

[14]  J. S. Orr,et al.  Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of posterior fossa tumors. , 1983, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[15]  J. Hasty,et al.  The hydration of phospholipids. , 1974, Biochimica et biophysica acta.

[16]  B. Fung,et al.  Study of spin-lattice and spin-spin relaxation times of 1H, 2H, and 17O in muscular water. , 1979, Biophysical journal.

[17]  S. Levine,et al.  Anoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in rats. , 1960, The American journal of pathology.

[18]  J. Miller,et al.  Fluid-percussion model of mechanical brain injury in the cat. , 1976, Journal of neurosurgery.

[19]  S. Nelson.  Effect of drugs on experimental brain edema in mice. , 1974, Journal of neurosurgery.

[20]  A. Marmarou,et al.  A simple gravimetric technique for measurement of cerebral edema. , 1978, Journal of neurosurgery.

[21]  J Hoenninger,et al.  Tomography of hydrogen with nuclear magnetic resonance. , 1980, Radiology.

[22]  S R Nelson,et al.  Use of specific gravity in the measurement of cerebral edema. , 1971, Journal of applied physiology.

[23]  R. Knispel,et al.  Water content and proton spin relaxation time for neoplastic and non-neoplastic tissues from mice and humans. , 1974, Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

[24]  D. Medina,et al.  Relationship between hydration and proton nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation times in tissues of tumor-bearing and non-tumor-bearing mice: implications for cancer detection. , 1974, Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

[25]  K. Hossmann,et al.  Experimental peritumoral edema of the cat brain. , 1980, Advances in neurology.

[26]  R. Kurland,et al.  Nuclear magnetic resonance studies in normal and edematous brain tissue , 1975, Experimental Brain Research.

[27]  J Hoenninger,et al.  Visualization of cerebral and vascular abnormalities by NMR imaging. The effects of imaging parameters on contrast. , 1982, Radiology.

[28]  I. Klatzo,et al.  Presidental address. Neuropathological aspects of brain edema. , 1967, Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology.

[29]  L. Kaufman,et al.  Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging in medicine , 1981 .

[30]  J. R. Singer,et al.  Some Magnetic Studies of Normal and Leukemic Blood , 1978 .

[31]  G. Raaphorst,et al.  Nuclear magnetic resonance study of mammalian cell water influence of water content and ionic environment. , 1975, Biophysical journal.

[32]  E. Samulski,et al.  The measurement of cross-relaxation effects in the proton NMR spin-lattice relaxation of water in biological systems: Hydrated collagen and muscle☆ , 1978 .

[33]  E. Finch,et al.  Proton nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation measurements in frog muscle. , 1974, Biophysical journal.

[34]  P. V. von Hippel,et al.  DNA-protein interactions. , 1972, Annual review of biochemistry.

[35]  T. H. Newton,et al.  NMR demonstration of cerebral abnormalities: comparison with CT. , 1983, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[36]  K. J. Packer,et al.  Pulsed NMR studies of water in striated muscle. 3. The effects of water content. , 1974, Biochimica et biophysica acta.

[37]  R. Britt,et al.  Neuropathological and computerized tomographic findings in experimental brain abscess. , 1981, Journal of neurosurgery.

[38]  J. Cervós-Navarro,et al.  Measurement of the specific gravity of the brain as a tool in brain edema research. , 1980, Advances in neurology.

[39]  K. Foster,et al.  Bounds on "bound water": transverse nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation in barnacle muscle. , 1976, Science.

[40]  F Noack,et al.  Investigation of protein hydration by proton spin relaxation time measurements. , 1970, Biochimica et biophysica acta.

[41]  K. Zaner,et al.  Human tumors detected by nuclear magnetic resonance. , 1974, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[42]  W. Edelstein,et al.  Cerebral NMR imaging: Early results with a 0.12 T resistive system , 1984 .

[43]  C. Wilson,et al.  Development of an animal brain tumor model and its response to therapy with 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea. , 1973, Cancer research.

[44]  J. Weinberg,et al.  Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Studies of Living Muscle , 1965, Science.

[45]  J R Hansen,et al.  Pulsed NMR study of water mobility in muscle and brain tissue. , 1971, Biochimica et biophysica acta.

[46]  B. Fung.  Correlation of relaxation time with water content in muscle and brain tissues. , 1977, Biochimica et biophysica acta.