Abstract #0994
Labeling Transected Axons with Intracellular Gd-DTPA for Micro-MRI of Lamprey Spinal Cord Injury
Wright A, Jin L, Zhang G, Wehrli S, Selzer M, Wehrli F, Hackney D
University of Pennsylvania Medical Center
A novel method for MR microimaging of large axons in the lamprey spinal cord has been developed in which transected axons are labeled in vivo with Gd-DTPA. Excised spinal cords then can be imaged using -MRI. The results demonstrate contrast agent uptake among a subset of axons, yielding highly enhanced intra-axonal signal on heavily T1-weighted images. The method will facilitate tracking axonal degeneration and regeneration in this well-characterized animal model.
