Quantitative volumetric analyses of brain magnetic resonance imaging from rat with chronic neuroinflammation

Brain inflammation may have a pathogenic role in many neurodegenerative dis eases, including Alzheimer's disease. In the present study, we investigated the effects of chronic neuroinflammation upon anatomical changes in two re gions of interest in the temporal lobe using high-resolution magnetic reson ance imaging techniques. We show that chronic infusion of lipopolysaccharid e into the fourth ventricle for 4 consecutive weeks enlarged the lateral ve ntricles and significantly decreased the size of the hippocampal formation and the temporal lobe region. These changes are comparable to those observe d in humans during the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. (C) 2000 Academ ic Press.