Direct imaging of glymphatic transport using H217O MRI.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 33857020.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1172/jci.insight.141159 and PMC identifier 8262348.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
The recently proposed glymphatic pathway for solute transport and waste clearance from the brain has been the focus of intense debate. By exploiting an isotopically enriched MRI tracer, H217O, we directly imaged glymphatic water transport in the rat brain in vivo. Our results reveal glymphatic transport that is dramatically faster and more extensive than previously thought and unlikely to be explained by diffusion alone. Moreover, we confirm the critical role of aquaporin-4 channels in glymphatic transport.
Medical subject headings
- Glymphatic System
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging