QUANTIFYING SODIUM IN THE LUMBAR SPINE IN VIVO

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中利用 资源由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目和 调查员(PI)可能从NIH的另一个来源获得了主要资金， 并因此可以在其他清晰的条目中表示。列出的机构是 该中心不一定是调查人员的机构。 退行性间盘疾病(DDD)是椎骨和腰椎之间的间盘逐渐恶化 可能是成年人下腰痛的原因之一。早期DDD的特征是基质丢失 椎间髓核(NP)区域的蛋白多糖(PG)等成分 光盘。软骨组织中的钠含量与蛋白多糖含量相关，并可提供 组织退变的天然生物标记物和钠核磁共振可作为影像生物标记物 用于治疗DDD。在这项研究中，我们展示了量化早期退变的可能性。 通过定量在体外椎间盘标本中以及在人体中的钠 活体通过核磁共振。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) is a gradual deterioration of the disc between the vertebrae and may be a cause of lower back pain in adults. Early DDD is characterized by a loss of matrix constituents such as proteoglycans (PG) in the nucleus pulposus (NP) region of the intervertebral disc. Sodium content in cartilage tissue correlates with proteoglycan content and can provide a natural biomarker for tissue degeneration and Sodium MRI may serve as an imaging biomarker for DDD. In this study, we demonstrate the potential for quantifying early degeneration in the disc by quantifying sodium in the NP in ex vivo disc specimens as well as in human subjects in vivo via MRI.