ArticleNMR in biomedicine2026
Structural Characterization of Cardiac Free-Running Purkinje Fibers Using Inhomogeneous Magnetization Transfer (ihMT): A Proof of Concept MRI-Histology Approach.
Article in NMR in biomedicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
Abstract
The cardiac Purkinje network plays a critical role in maintaining synchronized ventricular activation but remains difficult to image due to its fine and complex structure. Conventional MRI techniques lack sufficient contrast to distinguish the structural composition of Purkinje fibers (PFs). This study investigates the potential of inhomogeneous magnetization transfer (ihMT) as a novel contrast mechanism for visualizing and differentiating subregions of the Purkinje network. Five fixed ex vivo sheep hearts containing free-running PFs were scanned using a 9.4 T MRI system with a 2D ihMT RARE sequence. ihMTR maps were analyzed using manually defined regions of interest (ROIs) corresponding to free-running fibers, the Purkinje-myocardial junction (PMJ), and the surrounding myocardium. Histological analysis was performed on matched tissue sections to quantify collagen types I and III, adipocytes, Purkinje cells, and cardiomyocytes. Three ihMT protocols that produced high ihMTR values in free-running fibers (9.25-10.83%) and strong contrast relative to myocardium (2.00-2.17%) and the PMJ (2.99-3.40%) in 1 sample were selected and applied to all samples. Across all hearts, mean ihMTR values were consistently higher in free-running fibers compared to the PMJ (11.5 ± 1.5% vs 9.0 ± 2.9%). Histological analysis revealed significantly greater collagen content in free-running regions compared with the PMJ (72.4 ± 15.9% vs 31.1 ± 13.1%; p = 0.001), along with higher adipocyte content at the PMJ compared to free-running regions (12.3 ± 6.1% vs 3.8 ± 2.7%, not significant). Collagen type III was more prominent at the PMJ but remained a minor component overall. These findings demonstrate that ihMT imaging can distinguish PF subregions based on underlying microstructural differences, particularly collagen and adipocyte distribution. This study lays the groundwork for developing biophysical models to interpret ihMT signals in terms of tissue composition and microstructure, providing a foundation for future studies.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.