Research

Outcome of experimental stroke in C57Bl/6 and Sv/129 mice assessed by multimodal ultra-high field MRI

Mirko Pham^1,2 , Xavier Helluy³ , Stefan Braeuninger⁴ , Peter Jakob³ , Guido Stoll⁴ , Christoph Kleinschnitz⁴ and Martin Bendszus^1,2

¹  Department of Neuroradiology, University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany

²  Department of Neuroradiology, University of Wuerzburg, Josef-Schneider-Str 11, D-97080 Wuerzburg, Germany

³  Department of Experimental Physics 5 (Biophysics), University of Wuerzburg, Am Hubland, D-97074 Wuerzburg, Germany

⁴  Department of Neurology, University of Wuerzburg, Josef-Schneider-Str 11, D-97080 Wuerzburg, Germany

author email corresponding author email

Experimental & Translational Stroke Medicine 2010, 2:6doi:10.1186/2040-7378-2-6

Published:	15 March 2010

Abstract

Transgenic mice bred on C57Bl/6 or Sv/129 genetic background are frequently used in stroke research. It is well established that variations in cerebrovascular anatomy and hemodynamics can influence stroke outcome in different inbred mouse lines. We compared stroke development in C57Bl/6 and Sv/129 mice in the widely used model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) by multimodal ultra-high field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

C57Bl/6 and Sv/129 mice underwent 60 min of tMCAO and were analyzed by MRI 2 h and 24 h afterwards. Structural and functional images were registered to a standard anatomical template. Probability maps of infarction were rendered by automated segmentation from quantitative T2-relaxometric images. Whole-brain segmentation of infarction was accomplished manually on high-resolution T2-weighted (T2-w) RARE images. Cerebral perfusion (cerebral blood flow, CBF) was measured quantitatively by modified continuous arterial-spin-labeling (CASL) and apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) by spin-echo diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).

Probabilities of cortical (95.1% ± 3.1 vs. 92.1% ± 2.5; p > 0.05) and subcortical (100% vs. 100%; p > 0.05) infarctions at 24 h were similar in both groups as was the whole-brain volumetric extent of cerebral infarction. In addition, CBF and ADC values did not differ between C57Bl/6 and Sv/129 mice at any time point or region of interest.

The C57Bl/6 and Sv/129 genetic background is no major confounding factor of infarct size and cerebral perfusion in the tMCAO model.