MATERIAL and METHODS: 30 Wistar rats were randomly divided into 2 groups. Group A was intravenously injected with 8 μmol Fe/kg body weight of Resovist, whilst Group B was injected with 0.2 mmol/kg body weight of Gd-DTPA. These dosages were chosen to provide comparable maximum signal changes in normally perfused brain. CBV, CBF and MTT parameter profiles were obtained for the core diseased region and the penumbra of brain ischemia and compared between the two groups. These results were then correlated with pathological findings and TTC staining.

RESULTS: In our rat stroke model, signal-time curves were similar between Gd-DTPA and Resovist, both in the core area with severe ischemia and in the penumbra area with moderate ischemia. The CBV, MTT, and TTP values of PWI for ischemic penumbra in Groups A and B showed no statistical disparity.

CONCLUSION: The efficacy of Resovist in MR PWI is similar to Gd-DTPA in the diagnosis of perfusion reduction in the rat stroke model. Keywords : Resovist, Hyperacute cerebral infarction, MRI, Perfusion weighted imaging, Rat