Abstract
In ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligaments (OPLL), axonal disruption results in motor and sensory function impairment. Twy (tiptoe-walking Yoshimura) mice develop spontaneous calcification in the cervical ligaments, thereby causing chronic compression of the spinal cords. To determine whether in vivo diffusion tensor tractography (DTT) can evaluate the axonal disruption of the chronic compressive spinal cords in twy mice, 6-, 15-, and 20-week-old twy mice were chronologically subjected to DTT. MRI was performed using a 7.0-Tesla magnet with a surface coil (CryoProbe). Diffusion tensor images were analyzed using TrackVis (Massachusetts General Hospital, MA, USA). We succeeded in depicting in vivo high-resolution DTT of the twy mice. The progress of the ligamentous calcification was observed at C2–3 level in each twy mouse, and the number of RT-97 or SMI31 positive fibers was decreased depending on the severity of the compression of the spinal cord. Quantitative analysis of sequential DTT enabled to detect subtle damage of the compressed spinal cord prior to the deterioration of neurological function in twy mice. Thus, in a clinical setting, DTT could be a new effective imaging modality in patients with cervical OPLL.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Vedantam A, Jonathan A, Rajshekhar V (2011) Association of magnetic resonance imaging signal changes and outcome prediction after surgery for cervical spondylotic myelopathy. J Neurosurg Spine 15(6):660–666. doi:10.3171/2011.8.SPINE11452
Assaf Y, Pasternak O (2008) Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-based white matter mapping in brain research: a review. J Mol Neurosci 34(1):51–61. doi:10.1007/s12031-007-0029-0
Chang Y, Jung TD, Yoo DS, Hyun JK (2010) Diffusion tensor imaging and fiber tractography of patients with cervical spinal cord injury. J Neurotrauma 27(11):2033–2040. doi:10.1089/neu.2009.1265
Mori S, Zhang J (2006) Principles of diffusion tensor imaging and its applications to basic neuroscience research. Neuron 51(5):527–539. doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2006.08.012
Demir A, Ries M, Moonen CT, Vital JM, Dehais J, Arne P, Caille JM, Dousset V (2003) Diffusion-weighted MR imaging with apparent diffusion coefficient and apparent diffusion tensor maps in cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Radiology 229(1):37–43. doi:10.1148/radiol.2291020658
Facon D, Ozanne A, Fillard P, Lepeintre JF, Tournoux-Facon C, Ducreux D (2005) MR diffusion tensor imaging and fiber tracking in spinal cord compression. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 26(6):1587–1594
Okawa A, Nakamura I, Goto S, Moriya H, Nakamura Y, Ikegawa S (1998) Mutation in Npps in a mouse model of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine. Nat Genet 19(3):271–273. doi:10.1038/956
Uchida K, Baba H, Maezawa Y, Kubota C (2002) Progressive changes in neurofilament proteins and growth-associated protein-43 immunoreactivities at the site of cervical spinal cord compression in spinal hyperostotic mice. Spine 27(5):480–486
Baltes C, Radzwill N, Bosshard S, Marek D, Rudin M (2009) Micro MRI of the mouse brain using a novel 400 MHz cryogenic quadrature RF probe. NMR Biomed 22(8):834–842. doi:10.1002/nbm.1396
Kouda K, Iki M, Fujita Y, Tamaki J, Yura A, Kadowaki E, Sato Y, Moon JS, Morikawa M, Tomioka K, Okamoto N, Kurumatani N (2011) Alcohol intake and bone status in elderly Japanese men: baseline data from the Fujiwara-kyo osteoporosis risk in men (FORMEN) study. Bone 49(2):275–280. doi:10.1016/j.bone.2011.04.010
Baba H, Imura S, Kawahara N, Nagata S, Tomita K (1995) Osteoplastic laminoplasty for cervical myeloradiculopathy secondary to ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament. Int Orthop 19(1):40–45
Iwasaki M, Okuda S, Miyauchi A, Sakaura H, Mukai Y, Yonenobu K, Yoshikawa H (2007) Surgical strategy for cervical myelopathy due to ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament, Part 1: clinical results and limitations of laminoplasty. Spine 32(6):647–653. doi:10.1097/01.brs.0000257560.91147.86
Sakai K, Okawa A, Takahashi M, Arai Y, Kawabata S, Enomoto M, Kato T, Hirai T, Shinomiya K (2011) Five-year follow-up evaluation of surgical treatment for cervical myelopathy caused by ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament: a prospective comparative study of anterior decompression and fusion with floating method versus laminoplasty. Spine. doi:10.1097/BRS.0b013e31821f4a51
Tani T, Ushida T, Ishida K, Iai H, Noguchi T, Yamamoto H (2002) Relative safety of anterior microsurgical decompression versus laminoplasty for cervical myelopathy with a massive ossified posterior longitudinal ligament. Spine 27(22):2491–2498. doi:10.1097/01.BRS.0000031270.69596.4E
Fujiyoshi K, Yamada M, Nakamura M, Yamane J, Katoh H, Kitamura K, Kawai K, Okada S, Momoshima S, Toyama Y, Okano H (2007) In vivo tracing of neural tracts in the intact and injured spinal cord of marmosets by diffusion tensor tractography. J Neurosci 27(44):11991–11998. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3354-07.2007
Takagi T, Nakamura M, Yamada M, Hikishima K, Momoshima S, Fujiyoshi K, Shibata S, Okano HJ, Toyama Y, Okano H (2009) Visualization of peripheral nerve degeneration and regeneration: monitoring with diffusion tensor tractography. Neuroimage 44(3):884–892. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2008.09.022
Konomi T, Fujiyoshi K, Hikishima K, Komaki Y, Tsuji O, Okano HJ, Toyama Y, Okano H, Nakamura M (2012) Conditions for quantitative evaluation of injured spinal cord by in vivo diffusion tensor imaging and tractography: preclinical longitudinal study in common marmosets. Neuroimage 63(4):1841–1853. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.08.040
Kara B, Celik A, Karadereler S, Ulusoy L, Ganiyusufoglu K, Onat L, Mutlu A, Ornek I, Sirvanci M, Hamzaoglu A (2011) The role of DTI in early detection of cervical spondylotic myelopathy: a preliminary study with 3-T MRI. Neuroradiology 53(8):609–616. doi:10.1007/s00234-011-0844-4
Baba H, Maezawa Y, Imura S, Kawahara N, Nakahashi K, Tomita K (1996) Quantitative analysis of the spinal cord motor neuron under chronic compression: an experimental observation in the mouse. J Neurol 243(2):109–116
Yato Y, Fujimura Y, Nakamura M, Watanabe M, Yabe Y (1997) Decreased choline acetyltransferase activity in the murine spinal cord motor neurons under chronic mechanical compression. Spinal Cord 35(11):729–734
Acknowledgement
Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Sciences Research Grant funds were received to support this work.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer Japan
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Takano, M. et al. (2014). In Vivo Tracing of Neural Tracts in Tiptoe-Walking Yoshimura Mice by Diffusion Tensor Tractography. In: Uchida, K., Nakamura, M., Ozawa, H., Katoh, S., Toyama, Y. (eds) Neuroprotection and Regeneration of the Spinal Cord. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54502-6_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54502-6_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Tokyo
Print ISBN: 978-4-431-54501-9
Online ISBN: 978-4-431-54502-6
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)