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Anatomical and diffusion MRI brain atlases of the fetal rhesus macaque brain at 85, 110 and 135 days gestation.

ABSTRACT: Recent advances in image reconstruction techniques have enabled high resolution MRI studies of fetal brain development in human subjects. Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) are valuable animal models for use in studies of fetal brain development due to the similarities between this species and humans in brain development and anatomy. There is a need to develop fetal brain templates for the rhesus macaque to facilitate the characterization of the normal brain growth trajectory and departures from this trajectory in rhesus models of neurodevelopmental disorders. Here we have developed unbiased population-based anatomical T₂-weighted, fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) templates for fetal brain from MR images scanned at 3 time points over the second and third trimesters of the 168 day gestational term. Specifically, atlas images are constructed for brains at gestational ages of 85 days (G85, N?=?18, 9 females), 110 days (G110, N?=?10, 7 females) and 135 days (G135, N?=?16, 7 females). We utilized this atlas to perform segmentation of fetal brain MR images and fetal brain volumetric and microstructure analysis. The T₂-weighted template images facilitated characterization of the growth within six fetal brain regions. The template images of diffusion tensor indices provided information related to the maturation of white matter tracts. These growth trajectories are referenced to human studies of fetal brain development. Similarities in the temporal and regional patterns of brain growth over the corresponding periods of central nervous system development are identified between the two species. Atlas images are available online as a reference for registration, reconstruction, segmentation, and for longitudinal analysis of early fetal brain growth over this unique time window.

SUBMITTER: Liu Z

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6980966 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Anatomical and diffusion MRI brain atlases of the fetal rhesus macaque brain at 85, 110 and 135 days gestation.

Liu Zheng Z Wang Xiaojie X Newman Natali N Grant Kathleen A KA Studholme Colin C Kroenke Christopher D CD

NeuroImage 20191024

Recent advances in image reconstruction techniques have enabled high resolution MRI studies of fetal brain development in human subjects. Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) are valuable animal models for use in studies of fetal brain development due to the similarities between this species and humans in brain development and anatomy. There is a need to develop fetal brain templates for the rhesus macaque to facilitate the characterization of the normal brain growth trajectory and departures from t ...[more]

PMID: 31669303

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Project description:Variations in placental efficiency (PE), a measure of grams of fetus produced per gram of placenta, were initially researched between swine breeds, where increased PE was associated with larger litters. Placental efficiency was also found to vary greatly within production herds and individual litters; however, the use of PE as a selection tool has been debated. Nonetheless, PE is an index of feto-placental adaptation and may help identify compensatory mechanisms that maintain fetal growth when placental size is reduced, potentially providing an opportunity to address production concerns like low birth weights and preweaning survival. Since the nutrient transport capacity of the placenta largely depends on vasculature and nutrient transporter abundance, the objectives of this experiment were to 1) determine the mRNA expression of genes encoding nutrient transporters in the placenta and adjacent endometrium, and 2) evaluate if a relationship existed between PE and vascular density and/or nutrient transporters. Gilts (n = 19) were ovario-hysterectomized on day 70, 90, or 110 of gestation to collect placental and adjacent endometrial samples. The mean litter size was 11.1. Placental efficiency increased (P < 0.0001) throughout the end of gestation, while the range of PE increased from day 70 to 90 and was reduced on day 110 (P < 0.0001). Placental efficiency and placental weight were negatively correlated throughout gestation (70 d, r = -0.83, P < 0.0001; 90 d, r = -0.81, P < 0.0001; 110 d, r = -0.44, P < 0.0007), but the negative correlation between PE and fetal weight was not maintained as gestation progressed (70 d, r = -0.58, P < 0.0001; 90 d, r = -0.36, P < 0.0005; 110 d, r = 0.09, P = 0.51). Based on conditional effects plots, variations in PE were associated with alterations in amino acid transporter expression in the placenta (SLC7A7, SLC3A1) and endometrium (SLC7A1) on day 70. On day 90, PE had a positive relationship with placental expression of a glucose transporter (SLC2A3), and on day 110 PE was positively related to placental vascular density. The results suggest utero-placental adaptations occur as a compensation for reduced placental size to meet the increasing nutrient demands of the growing fetus during late gestation in swine. Furthermore, nutrient requirements differ for individual feto-placental units on a given day; therefore, optimizing nutrient availability during late gestation may improve fetal growth and survival.

Dataset Information

Anatomical and diffusion MRI brain atlases of the fetal rhesus macaque brain at 85, 110 and 135 days gestation.

Publications

Anatomical and diffusion MRI brain atlases of the fetal rhesus macaque brain at 85, 110 and 135 days gestation.

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