Effects of Early Rehydration on Brain Perfusion and Infarct Core after Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in Rats.

Yuan-Hsiung Tsai,Jenq-Lin Yang,I-Neng Lee,Yen-Chu Huang,Leng-Chieh Lin,Jen-Tsung Yang,Chia-Hao Su

doi:10.3390/brainsci11040439

Yuan-Hsiung Tsai, Jenq-Lin Yang + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11040439

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Abstract

Imaging evidence for the effect of rehydration on cerebral perfusion and brain ischemia has never been proposed in the literature. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that early rehydration treatment can improve cerebral perfusion and decrease infarct volume, consequently reducing mortality of dehydrated stroke animals. Methods: Thirty dehydrated experimental rats were randomly assigned to either a rehydration or control group after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Diffusion-weighted imaging and dynamic contrast enhancement perfusion imaging were performed at 30 min and 6 h after MCAO using a 9.4T MR imaging scanner to measure the infarct volume and brain perfusion. Results: The survival rates after the first MRI scan were 91.7% for the rehydration group and 58.3% for the control group (p = 0.059). The survival rates after the second MRI scan were 66.7% for the rehydration group, and 8.3% of the control group survived (p = 0.003). The infarct volume of the rehydration group was significantly smaller than control group at 30 min after MCAO (p = 0.007). The delay time and time to maximum were significantly shorter in the rehydration group at 30 min (p = 0.004 and 0.035, respectively). Conclusions: The findings suggest that early rehydration therapy can decrease the infarct volume, shorten the delay time of cerebral perfusion, and increase survival of dehydrated ischemic-stroke rats. This preliminary study provided imaging evidence that more intensive early hydration therapies and reperfusion strategies may be necessary for acute stroke patients with dehydrated status.

Highlights

This study aimed to investigate the effect of rehydration therapy in the cerebral perfusion and infarct core using an acute middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rat model
Six rats died during or after the MCAO surgery, and the surviving 24 rats were randomized into rehydration and control groups
We evaluated the volume of infarction and cerebral perfusion with a dehydration and MCAO-induced ischemic rat model using high field MRI to better control for other factors that affect cerebral perfusion and infarct volume

Summary

Introduction

Dehydration has a high prevalence in ischemic stroke and is associated with strokein-evolution and functional outcome [1,2,3,4]. The reasons for these observations are based on the concept that dehydrated status may reduce brain perfusion, decrease collateral blood flow, and aggravate ischemic brain injury [5,6,7,8]. Current acute stroke guidelines recommend rehydration for patients who are under dehydrated situations [9]. Previous studies suggested rehydration could improve the outcome and reduce death rates in dehydrated acute stroke [10,11]. The imaging evidence for the effect of rehydration on cerebral perfusion and brain ischemia has never been discussed in the literature

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