EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH
Pathology
doi: 10.25005/2074-0581-2026-28-2-454-470
DYNAMICS OF NEUROIMAGING AND MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES FOLLOWING EXPOSURE OF RAT BRAIN TISSUE TO A THULIUM LASER SYSTEM

R.A. SUFIANOV1,2,3, S.S. DYDYKIN4, M.R. MAMATKHANOV5, D.A. MURZAEVA3, N.A. GARIFULLINA3,6, A.A. SUFIANOV1,3,7

1Department of Neurosurgery, Russian Scientific Center of Surgery named after Academician B.V. Petrovsky, Moscow, Russian Federation
2Department of Neurooncology, N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology, Moscow, Russian Federation
3Federal Center of Neurosurgery, Tyumen, Russian Federation
4Department of Operative Surgery and Topographic Anatomy, N.V. Sklifosovsky Institute of Clinical Medicine, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russian Federation
5Children's City Clinical Hospital named after Z.A. Bashlyaeva, Moscow Department of Health, Moscow, Russian Federation
6Department of Pharmacology, Tyumen State Medical University, Tyumen, Russian Federation
7Educational and Scientific Institute of Neurosurgery, Peoples' Friendship University of Russia named after Patrice Lumumba, Moscow, Russian Federation

Objective: To investigate MRI and morphological changes in the subcortical tissues of the rat brain at different time points after exposure to a 2010-nm thulium fiber laser under experimental conditions.

Methods: The study was conducted on 20 outbred rats weighing 180-200 g. The animals were divided into four groups of five rats each. Stereotactic laser ablation was performed in the projection of the right parietal lobe using a power output of 5 W and an energy setting of 10 J. Histological examination was carried out in groups 1-4 on day 1 (immediately after ablation, Group 1), day 3 (Group 2), day 7 (Group 3), and day 30 (Group 4) after the procedure. In addition, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the T2 PROPELLER sequence was performed in Group 4 on day 1 (immediately after ablation), day 3, day 7, and day 30 following ablation.

Results: MRI demonstrated that immediately after ablation, the central lesion area was almost isointense to the contralateral hemisphere (CH, used as the reference value of 1.0); relative signal intensity (RSI) of the central lesion area was 1.01 [0.84-1.06], while the peripheral area exhibited reduced RSI – 0.79 [0.73-0.95]. On days 3, 7, and 30, an increase in RSI of the lesion area compared to the first day after ablation was observed: 1.88 [1.70; 1.94], 1.92 [1.76; 1.98], and 2.82 [2.68; 2.86], respectively (p=0.001), whereas RSI in the peripheral zone decreased: 0.93 [0.86; 1.11], 0.96 [0.89; 1.14], and 0.88 [0.80; 1.11], respectively (р>0.05). The lesion size, according to MRI, increased on days 3 and 7 to 4.79 [3.46; 5.24] mm² and 4.63 [4.01; 4.83] mm², respectively. By day 30, it decreased to 4.03 [2.72; 4.46] mm². No statistically significant differences in lesion size were found between the observation time points (p=0.0351). Morphological examination of rats immediately after ablation revealed primarily mechanical damage to brain tissue, along with moderate ischemic changes and developing micronecroses. On day 3, edema was pronounced, with large foci of necrosis predominated. On day 7, a cystic cavity with moderate macrophage infiltration formed in the center of the post-radiation zone. On day 30, a pseudocyst was formed; signs of neoangiogenesis and mildly expressed granulation tissue were detected, indicating the onset of reparative processes in brain tissue.

Conclusion: Exposure of brain tissue to 2010-nm laser irradiation results in a sequential progression of morphological phases, from ischemic-necrotic injury to the formation of a well-demarcated pseudocyst accompanied by reparative changes. The confined nature of the lesion suggests that laser ablation is a controlled and spatially precise procedure.

Keywords: Thulium-doped fiber laser, laser ablation of the brain, histological methods, neuroimaging methods.

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Authors' information:

Sufianov Rinat Albertovich,
Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Neurosurgery, Russian Scientific Center of Surgery named after Academician B.V. Petrovsky; Neurosurgeon, Department of Neurooncology, N.N. Blokhin National Medical Research Center of Oncology; Neurosurgeon, Federal Center of Neurosurgery
Researcher ID: ABC-8823-2021
Scopus ID: 56001416700
ORCID ID: 0000-0003-4031-0540
SPIN: 1204-2994
Author ID: 792245
E-mail: rinat.sufianov@gmail.com

Dydykin Sergey Sergeevich,
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Full Professor, Head of the Department of Operative Surgery and Topographic Anatomy, N.V. Sklifosovsky Institute of Clinical Medicine, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University
Researcher ID: B-4168-2018
Scopus ID: 57224563427
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-1273-0356
SPIN: 7385-3194
Author ID: 3162253
E-mail: dydykin_s_s@staff.sechenov.ru

Mamatkhanov Magomed Ramazanovich,
Doctor of Medical Sciences, Neurosurgeon, Children's City Clinical Hospital named after Z.A. Bashlyaeva, Moscow Department of Health
Scopus ID: 57232228900
ORCID ID: 0000-0001-7170-7415
SPIN: 7426-2245
Author ID: 703398
E-mail: magomedniisp@mail.ru

Murzaeva Dzhamilya Adilkhanovna,
Pathologist, Federal Center of Neurosurgery
Researcher ID: AAU-4058-2020
Scopus ID: 58486559700
ORCID ID: 0000-0002-2801-4485
SPIN: 9618-6709
Author ID: 937283
E-mail: dzhamilay22@mail.ru

Garifullina Nargiza Askatovna,
Neurosurgeon, Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Federal Center for Neurosurgery; Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology, Tyumen State Medical University
Researcher ID: NLN-5534-2025
Scopus ID: 58859271100
ORCID ID: 0000-0001-6918-5339
SPIN: 9439-6515
Author ID: 1258161
E-mail: garifullina.nargiza17@yandex.ru

Sufianov Albert Akramovich,
Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Full Professor, Head of the Department of Neurosurgery, Russian Scientific Center of Surgery named after Academician B.V. Petrovsky; Director of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Neurosurgery, Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia; Chief Physician, Federal Center for Neurosurgery
Scopus ID: 6603558501
ORCID ID: 0000-0001-7580-0385
SPIN: 1722-0448
Author ID: 446102
E-mail: Sufianov@gmail.com

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The authors did not receive financial support from manufacturers of medicines and medical equipment

Conflicts of interest: No conflict

Address for correspondence:

Sufianov Rinat Albertovich
Candidate of Medical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Neu- rosurgery, Russian Scientific Center of Surgery named after Academician B.V. Petrovsky; Neurosurgeon, Department of Neurooncology, N.N. Blokhin Na- tional Medical Research Center of Oncology; Neurosurgeon, Federal Center of Neurosurgery

625062, Russian Federation, Tyumen, 4 km Chervishevskogo trakta str., 5

Tel.: +7 (926) 3805235

E-mail: rinat.sufianov@gmail.com


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