BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study uses T(2)* weighted imaging (T2*WI) to measure the temporal evolution of cerebral angiogenesis in rats subjected to embolic stroke up to 6 weeks after stroke onset with or without sildenafil treatment. Method- Male Wistar rats were subjected to embolic stroke and treated with saline (n=10) or with sildenafil (n=11), with treatment initiated at 24 hours and continued daily for 7 days after onset of ischemia. T2*WI measurements were performed at 24 hours after embolization and weekly up to 6 weeks using a 7-Tesla system. Histological measurements were obtained at 6 weeks after MRI scans.RESULTS: Using T2*WI, cerebral angiogenesis was detected starting from 4 weeks and from 2 weeks after onset of embolic stroke in saline and sildenafil treated rats, respectively. Significant differences in the temporal and spatial features of angiogenesis after embolic stroke up to 6 weeks after onset of stroke were found between saline and sildenafil treated rats and were identified with T2*WI. MRI permeability parameter, K(i), complementarily detected angiogenesis after ischemia in embolic stroke rats. Sildenafil treatment of stroke rats significantly enhanced the angiogenesis, as confirmed histologically.CONCLUSIONS: T2*WI can quantitatively measure the temporal evolution of angiogenesis in rats subjected to embolic stroke. Compared to control rats, sildenafil treatment significantly increased angiogenesis in treated animals up to 6 weeks after stroke.
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