title: Manganese enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in a contusion model of spinal cord injury in rats: correlation with motor function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Various models of spinal cord injury in rodents have been established, and also techniques for lesion quantification. Measurement of the extent of the underlying injury is essential for monitoring the reproducibility of the experimental injury and assessment of therapeutic effects. In this study, we tested manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) for postmortem quantification of experimental spinal cord injury in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve rats were subjected to contusion injuries at the 11th thoracic vertebra, followed by MnCl2 injections into the cisterna magna. After 3 days of observation, postmortem MEMRI-features were correlated with values of locomotion testing and histology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MnCl2 yielded a strong contrast enhancement of the uninjured spinal cord, whereas no enhancement was observed at the injury site or caudally. Magnetic resonance imaging findings correlate closely with locomotor ratings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MEMRI represents a reliable method for visualization and functional assessment of spinal cord integrity in rats.
authors.affiliation: Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Experimental and Clinical Traumatology, Research Center of the AUVA, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Nadja
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Walder
authors.forename: Alexander H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Petter-Puchner
authors.forename: Mika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brejnikow
authors.forename: Heinz
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Redl
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Essig
authors.forename: Bram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stieltjes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002712:Chlorides; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D017895:Manganese Compounds; D009043:Motor Activity; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000293:injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D002712:Chlorides; D003287:Contrast Media; D017895:Manganese Compounds; C025340:manganese chloride