title: Biological applications of manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.
abstract: The manganese ion (Mn2+) has long been used in biomedical research as an indicator of calcium (Ca2+) influx in conjunction with fluorescent microscopy because it is well established that Mn2+ enters cells through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. Mn2+ is also paramagnetic, resulting in a shortening of the spin-lattice relaxation time constant, T1, which yields positive contrast enhancement in T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), specific to tissues in which the ion has accumulated. Manganese-enhanced MRI (MEMRI) uses a combination of these properties of Mn2+ to elucidate anatomical information and to identify regions of cellular activity. The focus of this chapter will detail some of the current MEMRI methodologies and biological applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Robia G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Pautler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D003287:Contrast Media; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008345:Manganese
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D008345:Manganese