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Stereotaxic Surgery for Excitotoxic Lesion of Specific Brain Areas in the Adult Rat
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Using MRI to predict the fate of excitotoxic lesions in rats

Thibault Cholvin1,2, Lisa Giorgi1, Nathalie Baril2

  • 1Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LNC, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Marseille, France.

Plos One
|July 13, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) can accurately detect N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) lesions in rodents as early as 1 hour post-injection. This non-invasive method reliably estimates lesion extent, aiding cognitive studies.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Neuroimaging
  • Rodent Models

Background:

  • Excitotoxic lesions are crucial for studying rodent cognitive functions.
  • Accurate histological verification of lesion site and extent is often lacking.
  • N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) lesions are commonly employed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the utility of 7-Tesla MRI for detecting and quantifying NMDA-induced excitotoxic brain lesions in rodents.
  • To compare MRI-based lesion detection with traditional histological methods.

Main Methods:

  • Rodents received NMDA infusions to induce excitotoxic lesions.
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) using a 7-Tesla system and T2-weighted turbo-RARE sequence was performed at multiple time points (1h to 2 weeks).
  • Lesion volumes from MRI were compared with NeuN and Cresyl violet histological staining.

Main Results:

  • NMDA lesions produced a clear, hyperintense MRI signal detectable from 1 hour to 1 week post-injection.
  • MRI-detected hyperintensity reliably indicated the presence or absence of a lesion.
  • Cresyl violet staining significantly underestimated lesion extent compared to NeuN staining and MRI.
  • MRI accurately confirmed drug diffusion and injection site, predicting lesion fate.

Conclusions:

  • 7-Tesla MRI is a powerful, non-invasive tool for early detection and accurate assessment of NMDA excitotoxic lesions in rodents.
  • MRI provides a reliable, real-time estimation of lesion extent, surpassing limitations of traditional histological methods.
  • This MRI approach enhances the validity and efficiency of lesion studies in neuroscience research.

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