¹H magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging of permanent focal cerebral ischemia in rat: Longitudinal metabolic changes in ischemic core and rim

The purpose of this study was to determine whether regional differences in metabolites can be seen chronologically in permanent focal cerebral ischemia using ¹H magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI), and whether these changes reflect pathological outcome. Regional variation in metabolites after permanent focal ischemia were investigated longitudinally in rats using ¹H MRSI for a total of 7 days and then compared to histopathological findings. Four hours after the induction of ischemia, N-acetyl-L-aspartate (NAA) levels in the lateral caudo-putamen and the somatosensory cortex, core ischemic regions, decreased 22 and 40%, respectively. This reduction in NAA was coupled with a marked rise in lactate. In the medial caudo-putamen, the ischemic rim, however, NAA was preserved in spite of a marked increase in lactate. By 24 h post ischemia, the levels of NAA in medial caudo-putamen (ischemic rim in caudate) also decreased significantly. However NAA in cingulated cortex (ischemic rim in cortex) decreased more gradually between 24 and 48 h. This regional difference can reflect the severity of metabolic derangement in the acute stage. After 96 h following ischemia, the levels of all metabolites detected by ¹H MRSI had decreased and the levels of NAA decline reflected the severity of histopathological damage. In conclusion, the regional metabolic differences could be assessed by ¹H MRSI chronologically, and the depth of NAA decline reflected histopathological changes in the chronic stage.