We assessed whether ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) phagocytosed by microglia contribute to tumor enhancement in MR imaging of N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU)-induced endogenous rat brain gliomas by comparing MR images with the corresponding histological sections. USPIO-enhanced MR imaging may provide pure vascular bed images in the early phase within 6 hours after intravenous administration of USPIO agent because it was histologically proved that the administrated agent remained within intravascular space. In the late phase at 63-66 hours after the administration, USPIO-enhanced Gradient-Recalled-Echo T2-weighted images may depict the distribution of microglia that were magnetically labeled by USPIO agent.
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