Dynamic contrast enhanced-magnetic resonance imaging study of the nutrition pathway for lumbar intervertebral disk cartilage of normal goats.
OBJECTIVE
Study of the nutrition pathway for lumbar intervertebral disk cartilage of normal goats.


METHODS
Four lumbar intervertebral disks from each of eight 24-month-old goats (32 disks) were studied. After the goats had been anesthetized, signal intensity changes in the regions of interest (ROI) were observed by dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance scanning. Before and after enhancement at the time points of 0, 5, 10, and 30 mins, and 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5 hs, the ROI signal intensity was measured, and the time-signal intensity curve and peak times analyzed.


RESULTS
Signal intensity in the vertebral bodies reached a peak at 0 min and decreased quickly thereafter. Signal intensity in the cartilage endplate zones reached the first peak at 30 mins and then went down slightly before increasing to a second peak at 2 hs. Signal intensity in the nuclei pulposus was negative within 5 mins, increased slowly to a peak at 2 hs, and declined thereafter.


CONCLUSIONS
Nutrient metabolism of the lumbar intervertebral disks of normal goats occurs mainly through the cartilage end-plate pathway.
Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, China. duheng18@gmail.com
Heng
H
Du
Shao-hui
SH
Ma
Min
M
Guan
Bo
B
Han
Guang-fu
GF
Yang
Ming
M
Zhang
Miao
M
Liu
D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006041:Goats; D007403:Intervertebral Disc / Q000378:metabolism*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000378:metabolism*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA