manganese ; magnetic resonance imaging ; spinal cord ; rat
Abstract
Manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) offers a novel neuroimaging
method in visualizing the activity patterns of neural circuits. MEMRI is using
the divalent manganese ion, which has been used as a cellular contrast agent. The
present study was conducted to determine the contrast-enhancing effects of manganese
ion administered into the spinal cord of rats. Manganese ion was administered
into the spinal cord by lumbar puncture. Ex vivo magnetic resonance images were
obtained at 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours after manganese ion injection. Although the highly
contrasted images were not observed 6 or 12 hr after manganese injection, the
distinctive manganese-enhanced images began to appear at 24 hours after manganese
ion injection. These results suggest that the gray matter is the foci of intense
paramagnetic signals and MEMRI may provide an effective technique to visualize the
activity-dependent patterns in the spinal cord