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Updated: Feb 21, 2026
Experimental Strategies to Bridge Large Tissue Gaps in the Injured Spinal Cord after Acute and Chronic Lesion
Published on: April 5, 2016
Manganese-enhanced MRI of rat spinal cord injury
Mehmet Bilgen1, Numa Dancause, Baraa Al-Hafez
1Hoglund Brain Imaging Center, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA. mbilgen@kumc.edu
Abstract:
The potential of the manganese-enhanced MRI (MEI) technique in labeling the intact neuronal circuitry of rat spinal cord was examined. Experiments were conducted on normal and injured cords at 9.4-T magnetic field strength using an implantable rf coil. The contrast agent manganese (Mn) was locally delivered within the parenchyma at a dose of 25 mmol/L in 10 nL. The transport, uptake and accumulation of Mn in tissue were then followed remotely on T1-weighted images that were acquired serially from the cord. In MEIs of normal cord, Mn was observed to be transported in directions both rostral and caudal to the site of injection. In the cord that was subjected to hemisection, signal enhancement was on the contralesional side of the cord, but not at the ipsilesional side. The sensitivity and specificity of the MEI technique in labeling the neurons that are functional were also validated with a traditional track-tracing method using biotinylated dextran amine.
Insights
Manganese-enhanced MRI (MEI) can effectively map functional neuronal pathways in rat spinal cords. This technique accurately labels intact and injured neural circuits, offering a novel approach for neuroscience research.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Medical Imaging
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Understanding neuronal circuitry is crucial for neuroscience and treating spinal cord injuries.
- Current methods for tracing neural pathways can be invasive or lack specificity.
- Manganese-enhanced MRI (MEI) offers a non-invasive imaging approach.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the potential of manganese-enhanced MRI (MEI) for labeling intact neuronal circuitry in rat spinal cords.
- To assess the technique's efficacy in both normal and injured spinal cord models.
- To validate MEI's sensitivity and specificity against traditional track-tracing methods.
Main Methods:
- Experiments were performed on rat spinal cords (normal and hemisected) at 9.4-T using an implantable rf coil.
- Manganese (Mn) contrast agent was locally delivered (25 mmol/L, 10 nL) into the spinal cord parenchyma.
- Serial T1-weighted images were acquired to track Mn transport, uptake, and accumulation.
Main Results:
- MEI successfully visualized Mn transport in both rostral and caudal directions in normal rat spinal cords.
- In hemisected cords, signal enhancement was observed on the contralesional side, but not the ipsilesional side.
- MEI's ability to label functional neurons was validated using biotinylated dextran amine track-tracing.
Conclusions:
- Manganese-enhanced MRI (MEI) is a sensitive and specific technique for mapping functional neuronal circuitry in the rat spinal cord.
- MEI can differentiate between intact and injured neural pathways, showing promise for studying spinal cord injury.
- The findings support MEI as a valuable tool for in vivo neuroscience research and clinical applications.
