NMR MICROSCOPY OF SINGLE NEURAL CELLS AND BRAIN SLICES

核磁共振成像（MRI）现在是一种主要的诊断工具。 然而，它仍然主要以定性的方式使用。 我们认为 对信号的彻底和潜在的定量理解 在临床MRI中观察到的变化需要了解基本的 组织行为的构建块，即单细胞。 直到最近，核磁共振（NMR）显微成像 使得能够直接检查大的单细胞。 使用NMR 显微镜下测定水的T1、T2和表观扩散系数（ADC） 将在灌注的细胞质和细胞核隔室中测量 单个神经元作为高张力和低张力的函数， 使用共聚焦显微镜测量细胞和核体积的变化 显微镜 为了提供细胞外区室和更紧密的联系 对体内动物脑组织进行类似的测量 对海马脑片灌流的影响以及 组织的NMR特征和细胞体积变化 测定 综合起来，这些数据将用于开发一个 组织的真实数学模型。 另外我们将开始 研究各种扰动效应的初步研究 在单细胞和脑切片上。 我们认为，对信号特征的透彻理解 单细胞和脑切片的研究将有助于我们更好地理解 在MRI中观察到的信号变化，这反过来可能有助于发展 一种更定量的临床MRI方法。 这反过来将大大 提高MRI诊断的敏感性和特异性。

Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is now a major diagnostic tool. However it is still used primarily in a qualitative fashion. We believe that a thorough and potentially quantitative understanding of signal changes observed in clinical MRI requires knowledge of how the basic building blocks of tissues behave, i.e. single cells. It is only recently that nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) microimaging has enabled the direct examination of large single cells. Using NMR microscopy the water T1, T2 and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) will be measured in the cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments of perfused single neurons as a function of hyper and hypotonicity and correlated with changes in cell and nuclear volume measured using confocal microscopy. To provide an extracellular compartment and a closer link to in vivo animal brain tissue, similar measurements will be performed on perfused hippocampal brain slices and the relationship between the NMR characteristics of the tissues and the cellular volume changes determined. Taken together, these data will be used to develop a realistic mathematical model of tissues. Additionally we will begin preliminary studies examining the effects of a variety of perturbations on single cells and brain slices. We believe that a thorough understanding of the signal characteristics of single cells and brain slices will lead to an improved understanding of the signal changes observed in MRI, which in turn may help develop a more quantitative approach to clinical MRI. This in turn will greatly improve the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of MRI.