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Abstract #2273

Reduced Manganese Enhancement and Flow in the Olfactory Pathway in Mice with Experimental Neuropsychiatric Lupus Demonstrated by Manganese Enhanced MRI

Tammar Kushnir1, Shaye Kivity2, Eli Konen1, David Manor1, Nancy Agmon-Levin2, Miri Blank2, Joab Chapman3, Yehuda Shoenfeld2, Galia Tsarfaty1

1Dept. of Diagnostic Imaging, MRI Unit, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel; 2Center of Autoimmune Diseases, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel; 3Dept. of neurology, Sagol Neuroscience Center, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel


Manganese enhanced MRI (MEMRI) allows in-vivo mapping of functional neuronal connections in the brain. The method was used to investigate the olfactory system in mice with experimental neuropsychiatric lupus (NPSLE), induced by intra-cerebro-ventricular injection of anti-ribosomal-P antibodies. MEMRI scans were performed before and 40 hours after intranasal MnCl2 administration. NPSLE induction resulted in a depression-like behavior accompanied with a significant deficit in olfactory function. MEMRI demonstrated impaired olfactory neuronal function expressed as a significant reduction in normalized manganese enhancement and flow throughout of the olfactory pathway, compared to healthy mice. Our results propose that autoimmune-CNS conditions may influence olfactory function.

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