Abstract
The overall goal of this work was to create a high-resolution MRI atlas of the lumbosacral enlargement of the spinal cord of the rat (Sprague–Dawley), cat, domestic pig, rhesus monkey, and human. These species were chosen because they are commonly used in basic and translational research in spinal cord injuries and diseases. Six spinal cord specimens from each of the studied species (total of 30 specimens) were fixed, extracted, and imaged. Sizes of the spinal cord segments, cross-sectional dimensions, and locations of the spinal cord gray and white matter were quantified and compared across species. The lumbar enlargement spans spinal cord levels L3-S1 in rats, L4-S1 in cats, L3-S1 in pigs, L2/L3-L7/S1 in monkeys, and T12/L1-S1/S2 in humans. The enlargements in pigs and humans are largest and most similar in size (length and cross-sectional area); followed by monkeys and cats; and followed by rats. The obtained atlas establishes a neuroanatomical reference for the intact lumbosacral spinal cord in these species. It can also be used to guide the planning of surgical procedures of the spinal cord and technology design and development of spinal cord neuroprostheses, as well as precise delivery of cells/drugs into target regions within the spinal cord parenchyma.
Highlights
The overall goal of this work was to create a high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) atlas of the lumbosacral enlargement of the spinal cord of the rat (Sprague–Dawley), cat, domestic pig, rhesus monkey, and human
Detailed knowledge of the neuroanatomy of the spinal cord is critical for understanding its pathologies and finding possible cures
The neuroanatomy of the spinal cord has been a subject of curiosity for centuries, dating back to the third and fourth centuries B.C.E., and including observations made by H ippocrates[10]
Summary
The overall goal of this work was to create a high-resolution MRI atlas of the lumbosacral enlargement of the spinal cord of the rat (Sprague–Dawley), cat, domestic pig, rhesus monkey, and human. These species were chosen because they are commonly used in basic and translational research in spinal cord injuries and diseases. In 2008, the Allen Institute published a histological spinal cord atlas for the mouse[12] along with results from Nissl staining and RNA in situ hybridization.
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