[Manganese enhanced magnetic resonance imaging for tracing corticospinal tracts in rat brain using 7.0 T MRI].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the methods of manganese enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in 7.0 T magnetic field for tracing corticospinal tract in rat brain in vivo.


METHODS
0.4 microl volume of 1 mol/L aqueous solution of MnCl(2) was injected into the primary motor cortex of 9 SD rats under stereotaxis. MRI studies were performed for tracing corticospinal tract and other coherent nerve tracts before injection and 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, 7 days after injection respectively using 7.0T Micro-MRI.


RESULTS
Corticospinal tract was visualized perfectly from primary motor cortex, thalamus, cerebral peduncle to pons at different time points after Mn(2+) administration, and the best contrast was achieved after 24-48 h. At the same time, a small quantity of Mn(2+) reached the opposite somatosensory cortex through the corpus callosum.


CONCLUSIONS
Manganese enhanced MRI visualizes perfectly the transport of Mn(2+) through axoplasmic flow in corticospinal tracts. This method may be used to investigate the change of corticospinal tract and the functional connectivity between two sides of hemisphere in rat brain.
Gao
Ge-Jun
GJ
Department of Radiology, Zhongda Hospital, Southeast University, Nanjing 210009, China. gaogejun@tom.com
Wen
Song
S
Yang
Tao
T
Dai
Feng
F
Wu
Min
M
Zang
Feng-Chao
FC
An
Yan-Li
YL
Tan
Zhong-Bao
ZB
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008345:Manganese; D011712:Pyramidal Tracts / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D008345:Manganese