Rabbit Encephalopathy of Prematurity MRI Data

Newborns rabbits were perfused using the active staining technique to introduce the gadolinium-based MRI contrast agent (Magnevist®, Dimeglumine Gadopentetate 0.5 mmol/mL, Bayer Schering Pharma, Berlin, Germany) into the brain parenchyma. After perfusion fixation with 4% PFA in 0.1 mol/L phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) containing 2% (10 mM) gadoteridol, the heads were removed and immersed in PFA 4% for 48h.

Finally, the fixed brains, still in the cranium, were placed in PBS containing 1% (5 mM) gadoteridol at 4°C for 2 to 5 days to ensure equilibration of contrast agent, and tissue rehydration. The heads were trimmed and placed in a sample holder, surrounded by proton-free perfluoropolyether solution (Fomblin®, Solvay Solexis) that minimizes susceptibility artefacts at the interface and imaging was done with a Bruker Biospec 9.4 Tesla small animal MR scanner (Bruker Biospin, Ettlingen, Germany; horizontal bore, 20 cm) equipped with actively shielded gradients (600 mT/m) and a 3.5 cm quadrature coil (volume resonator, Rapid Biomedical, Rimpar, Germany).