The AIRC operates a core facility for magnetic resonance procedures of laboratory mice that is available to all research labs at UT Southwestern, UT Dallas and UT Arlington. If you have a favorite mouse model and think that MR imaging or spectroscopy might provide new anatomical or physiological insights, transportation to the AIRC core facility for non-invasive imaging procedures is possible.
Mouse Imaging Core Facility
The Mouse MRI Core Facility offers state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and proton spectroscopy (MRS) of mice and other small animals to all campus investigators. Mice can be delivered to our facility in the Clements Imaging building (NE) on the North campus, imaged under anesthesia, and returned to the investigator the same day. The facility includes a 7 Tesla horizontal-bore magnet and various physiology monitoring capabilities including ECG, respiratory gating for cardiac imaging and temperature monitoring and control throughout the imaging experiment. The facility will provide guidance for post-processing of image data and experimental planning for longitudinal studies.
MR imaging methods:
- T1, T2, Proton Weighted Imaging, Gd-T1 Weighted Imaging
- Dynamic Contrast Enhanced MRI
- Diffusion-Weighted Imaging (DWI) / Diffusion-Tensor Imaging (DTI)
MR Spectroscopy:
- Single Voxel Spectroscopy
- CSI-Chemical Shift Imaging
We can provide expertise in various applications including, but not limited to:
Anatomical MR Imaging:
- Normal Development / Aging
- Detection/Monitoring of Lesions (Tumor, Ischemia, etc.)
- Body Fat Distribution
- Phenotyping
Functional MR Imaging:
- Perfusion (Angiogenesis, etc.)
- Cardiac Motion/Ejection Fraction
- Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA)
Tissue Metabolism:
- Fat Metabolites
- Characterization of Tumors