title: Magnetic resonance imaging of experimental demyelinating lesions.
abstract: An animal model of central nervous system demyelination was created by injecting rat internal capsules with lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC). The resulting chemically induced demyelinating lesions were readily visible in T1-weighted spin-echo, T2 weighted spin-echo, and inversion-recovery magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences. Changes in lesions were followed over 8 weeks and correlated with histopathology. Histologically, lesions were characterized initially by an acute, inflammatory phase with edema and blood-brain barrier breakdown, followed by macrophage-mediated removal of myelin debris and finally by remyelination after 3 to 4 weeks. MRI can differentiate lesion stages in the LPC model and may be useful in investigating mechanistic aspects of the demyelinating process. In addition the well-localized lesions may be amenable to study by techniques of volume-localized NMR spectroscopy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, New York.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Ceckler
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Karp
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Herndon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008244:Lysophosphatidylcholines; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D008244:Lysophosphatidylcholines