Fig. 2.

Longitudinal characterization of the impact of surgery on BBB permeability. A) Brain representative SPECT/CT tomographic images of [99mTc]Tc-DTPA distribution in animals that did not received cranial window implantation (no cranial window, left panel) or received cranial window implantation at the time of tumor cells grafting (cranial window, right panel) at day 13 post-grafting. The white dotted line represents the separation between ipsilateral (I) and contralateral (C) brain hemispheres that were used for the quantifications; B) Quantification of [99mTc]Tc-DTPA activity at day 13 post-grafting (one day prior to operation) in animals that did not received cranial window implantation (no cranial window) or received cranial window implantation at the time of tumor cells grafting (cranial window). These two groups of animals (representing the resection control and cranial window control, respectively) were then combined to establish the control group in panel D; C) Brain representative SPECT/CT tomographic images of [99mTc]Tc-DTPA distribution in animals that received cranial window implantation (unresected, left panel) or resective surgery and cranial window implantation (resected, right panel) 14 days following tumor cells grafting. Images were acquired at different times pre- and post-operation; D) Quantification of [99mTc]Tc-DTPA activity in control animals (imaging of control animals at day 13 post-grafting) vs animals 1, 2, 3, 7, 10 days post-implantation of the cranial window (unresected, left panel) or resective surgery and cranial window implantation (resected, right panel); E) Quantification of [99mTc]Tc-DTPA activity in animals 1, 2, 3, 7, 10 days post-surgery (cranial window implantation vs resection and cranial window implantation). For panels B, D and E panels, results are expressed as I/C ratio (n = 5–13, mean ± SEM; Unpaired t test with Welch’s correction; ns = not significant, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ****p < 0.0001)