Water extraction fraction and permeability-surface product after intravenous injection in rats.

A quantitative method has been developed to measure the water extraction fraction of rat brain after successive intravenous bolus injections of [15O]water and [11C]butanol based on a mathematical equation developed by the authors. This new method is noninvasive to the brain or craniocervical large vessels and does not require sacrifice of the rats. Arterial concentration curves and total head counts were measured in 8 rats by means of external coincidence detectors. Water extraction fraction in rat brain was 0.67 +/- 0.13 (mean +/- SD) and permeability-surface product was 1.75 ml/g min, where cerebral blood flow and arterial carbon dioxide tension were 1.71 +/- 0.86 ml/g min and 44.8 +/- 14.0 mm Hg, respectively. Water extraction fraction was stable with different measurement times from 20 to 80 seconds.