Dynamic MR imaging and tumor angiogenesis in DMBA-induced rat breast cancer: Three dimensional (3D) reconstructed image analysis of tumor microvessels by confocal laser scanning microscopy.

We investigated the correlation between dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in breast cancer and tumor angiogenesis in a dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced rat breast cancer model. In this study, we clearly demonstrated the three-dimensional (3D) architecture of tumor microvessel networks (MN) by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and also investigated the hyperpermeability of tumor microvessels. Dynamic MRI findings were closely related to tumor angiogenesis. Three-dimensional reconstructed image analysis by CLSM revealed that the depicted images were dependent on microvessel density as well as microvessel permeability. It should be emphasized that dynamic MRI may have the potential to evaluate the tumor angiogenic activity in human breast carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]