Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging-derived free water detects neurodegenerative pattern induced by interferon- γ.

Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging-derived free water detects neurodegenerative pattern induced by interferon-γ. Brain Struct Funct. 2020 Jan 01;: Authors: Febo M, Perez PD, Ceballos-Diaz C, Colon-Perez LM, Zeng H, Ofori E, Golde TE, Vaillancourt DE, Chakrabarty P Abstract Imaging biomarkers for immune activation may be valuable for early-stage detection, therapeutic testing, and research on neurodegenerative conditions. In the present study, we determined whether diffusion magnetic resonance imaging-derived free water signal is a sensitive marker for neuroinflammatory effects of interferon-gamma (Ifn-γ). Neonatal wild-type mice were injected in the cerebral ventricles with recombinant adeno-associated viruses expressing the inflammatory cytokine Ifn-γ. Groups of mice expressing Ifn-γ and age-matched controls were imaged at 1, 5 and 8 months. Mice deficient in Ifngr1-/- and Stat1-/- were scanned at 5 months as controls for the signaling cascades activated by Ifn-γ. The results indicate that Ifn-γ affected fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), and free water (FW) in white matter structures, midline cortical areas, and medial thalamic areas. In these structures, FA and MD decreased progressively from 1 to 8 months of age, while FW increased significantly. The observed reductions in FA and MD and increased FW with elevated brain Ifn-γ was not observed in Ifngr1-/- or Stat1-/- mice. These results suggest that the...
Source: Brain Structure and Function - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Tags: Brain Struct Funct Source Type: research