C6 cells

C6 cells were obtained from ATCC. The cells were cultured in a DMEM medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and a 1% penicillin and streptomycin solution in a cell incubator containing 5% CO₂ at 37 °C.

Bupivacaine (8 mg.kg⁻¹; Centravet, France) was subcutaneously injected before incision to prevent postoperative pain. Tumor cell inoculation was performed into the right caudate nucleus (coordinates from bregma: Anterior – Posterior = 0, Medial – Lateral = 3, Dorsal – Ventral = 5.5 mm). After injection, the burr hole was filled, the skin incision sewed and rats revived in an incubator before returning to the animal facility. The two tumor models were performed as described below. 9LGS cells (ATCC, American Type Culture Collection) were implanted in the brain of Fisher 344 rats (n = 14). One µl of cell suspension in serum-free RPMI1640 medium containing 1.10⁴ cells was inoculated and experiments were performed 10 days after. Two animals were used as blood donor for RBC labeling and 4 animals died during the surgery or during the MRI protocol. The 9LGS group is therefore composed of 8 animals (223 ± 8 g). C6 cells (ATCC, American Type Culture Collection) were implanted in the brain of Wistar rats (n = 11). Five µl of cell suspension in serum-free RPMI1640 medium containing 1.10⁵ cells were inoculated and experiments were performed 20 days after. Two animals were used as blood donor for RBC labeling and 1 animal died during the surgery. The C6 group is therefore composed of 8 animals (237 ± 8 g).

C6 cells were purchased from American Type Culture Collection (ATCC, Manassas, VA, USA), and other three human MGs cell lines, U251, T98G and U87, were kindly provided by Professor Panasci (Lady Davis Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada). The cells were cultured in high-glucose Dulbecco’s Modified Eagles Medium (DMEM; Invitrogen, Grand Island, New York, USA; 4.5 g/l glucose) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS; Invitrogen) at 37 °C under 5% (v/v) CO₂ atmosphere.