title: Sodium ion apparent diffusion coefficient in living rat brain.
abstract: The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of Na(+) was determined in live rat brain. The brain extracellular-to-intracellular Na(+) content ratio is approximately 8:2, which is the inverse of that for water in these spaces. Consequently, the ADC of Na(+) is primarily affected by motion in the extracellular space, and Na(+) can be viewed as a reporter molecule for motion in that space. Likewise, water ADC is dominated by intracellular motion. The brain Na(+) ADC was 1.15 +/- 0.09 microm(2)/ms, which is 61% of the aqueous Na(+) free diffusion coefficient (D(free)) at 37 degrees C (1.9 microm(2)/ms), while the ADC for brain water is 28% of the water D(free) at 37 degrees C (3 microm(2)/ms). This suggests that the ADC of molecular species within the extracellular space is roughly twofold that within the intracellular space. In postmortem brain, both Na(+) and water decrease to 17% of the respective D(free) values. These results are consistent with Na(+) and water ADC values sharing the same biophysical determinants in postmortem brain. The observed difference between Na(+) and water ADC/D(free) ratios in living brain tissue may be attributable to the extracellular environment hindering molecular displacements twofold less than the intracellular environment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Goodman
authors.forename: Christopher D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Kroenke
authors.forename: G Larry
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Bretthorst
authors.forename: Joseph J H
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Ackerman
authors.forename: Jeffrey J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Neil
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001834:Body Water / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D004058:Diffusion; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012964:Sodium