Dexamethasone normalizes brain tumor hemodynamics as indicated by dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI perfusion parameters

Technol Cancer Res Treat. 2005 Jun;4(3):245-9. doi: 10.1177/153303460500400303.

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the utility of dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) MRI-derived perfusion parameters to characterize the hemodynamic effects of dexamethasone in a 9L gliosarcoma tumor model. Twenty-four rats underwent intracerebral inoculation with 9L tumor cells. Fifteen were treated with a total of 3mg/kg of dexamethasone on days 10-14 post-inoculation, while the remaining 9 rats served as controls. Fourteen days post-inoculation, MRI images, sensitive to total and micro-vascular cerebral blood flow (CBF), mean transit time (MTT), and intravoxel transit time distributions (TTD)s were obtained using a simultaneous gradient-echo(GE)/spin-echo(SE) DSC-MRI method. Dexamethasone-treated animals had a microvascular (SE) tumor CBF that was 45.9% higher (p = 0.0008) and a MTT that was 47.8% lower (p = 0.0005) than untreated animals. With treatment, there was a non-significant 91.3% increase in total (GE) vascular CBF (p = 0.35), and a significant decrease in MTT (49.1%, p = 0.02). The total vascular and microvascular TTDs from the treated tumors were similar to normal brain, unlike the TTDs in the untreated tumors. These findings demonstrate that DSC-MRI perfusion methods can be used to non-invasively detect the morphological and functional changes in tumor vasculature that occur in response to dexamethasone treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Brain Neoplasms / blood supply*
  • Brain Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cerebrovascular Circulation / drug effects
  • Cerebrovascular Circulation / physiology
  • Contrast Media
  • Dexamethasone / therapeutic use*
  • Gliosarcoma / blood supply*
  • Gliosarcoma / drug therapy*
  • Gliosarcoma / pathology
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Perfusion
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Regional Blood Flow

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Contrast Media
  • Dexamethasone