q-Space high b value diffusion MRI of hemi-crush in rat spinal cord: evidence for spontaneous regeneration.
The development of the damage following hemi-crush trauma in rat spinal cord was studied ex vivo using high b value (bmax = 1 x 10(7) s cm(-2)) q-space diffusion weighted MRI (DWI) at five days, ten days and six weeks post-trauma. Rat spinal cord trauma, produced by hemi-crush of 15s and 60s duration, was studied. The water signal decay in these diffusion experiments was found to be non mono-exponential and was analyzed using the q-space approach. The q-space MRI parameters were compared with T1 and T2 MR images, behavioral tests and histopathological osmium staining. A very good anatomical correlation was found between the q-space MRI parameters and the osmium staining. Interestingly, we found that in the 15s hemi-crush model significant recovery was observed in both the q-space MR images and the osmium staining six weeks post-trauma. However, in the 60s hemi-crush trauma model very little recovery was observed. These results paralleled those obtained from behavioral tests demonstrating that partial spontaneous recovery seems to occur in the 15s hemi-crush spinal cord model, which should be taken in consideration when using it to evaluate new therapies.
School of Chemistry, The Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Revital
R
Nossin-Manor
Revital
R
Duvdevani
Yoram
Y
Cohen
D000818:Animals; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D023421:Models, Animal; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012038:Regeneration; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*