Wu L, Tang Z, Sun X, Feng X, Qian W, Wang J, Jin L. Metabolic changes in the visual cortex of binocular blindness macaque monkeys: a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.
PLoS One 2013;
8:e80073. [PMID:
24224037 PMCID:
PMC3818303 DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0080073]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2013] [Accepted: 10/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose
To evaluate proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) in a study of cross-modal plasticity in the visual cortex of binocular blindness macaque monkeys.
Materials and Methods
Four healthy neonatal macaque monkeys were randomly divided into 2 groups, with 2 in each group. Optic nerve transection was performed in both monkeys in the experimental group (group B) to obtain binocular blindness. Two healthy macaque monkeys served as a control group (group A). After sixteen months post-procedure, 1H-MRS was performed in the visual cortex of all monkeys. We compared the peak areas of NAA, Cr, Cho, Glx and Ins and the ratios of NAA/Cr, Cho/Cr, Glx/Cr and Ins/Cr of each monkey in group B with group A.
Results
The peak area of NAA and the NAA/Cr ratio in the visual cortex of monkey 4 in group B were found to be dramatically decreased, the peak area of NAA slightly decreased and the NAA/Cr ratio clearly decreased in visual cortex of monkey 3 in group B than those in group A. The peak area of Ins and the Ins/Cr ratio in the visual cortex of monkey 4 in group B slightly increased. The peak area of Cho and the Cho/Cr ratio in the visual cortex of all monkeys in group B dramatically increased compared with group A. The peak area of Glx in the visual cortex of all monkeys in group B slightly increased compared with group A.
Conclusions
1H-MRS could detect biochemical and metabolic changes in the visual cortex and therefore this technique can be used to provide valuable information for investigating the mechanisms of cross-modal plasticity of binocular blindness in a macaque monkey model.
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