Affiliations: Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, Osaka, Japan
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Tetsuji Yamaoka, Department of Biomedical Engineering, National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute, 5-7-1 Fujishiro-dai, Suita, Osaka 565-8565, Japan. Tel.: +81668335012, ext. 2637; Fax: +81668355476; E-mail: yamtet@ri.ncvc.go.jp
Abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been recognized as a non-invasive technique for visualizing the ultrastructure of a tissue at high resolution. The work reported here showed the utility of MRI for visualizing the fate of EPCs, and demonstrate how it can be used to further our understanding of angiogenesis mechanisms. The recently developed contrast agent dextran mono-N-succinimidyl 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetate-gadolinium3+ (Dex-DOTA-Gd3+) was used to label endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs). The faith of the transplanted labeled cells in the rat models of ischemic hind limbs was studied by images obtained by MRI. The pattern of migration of Dex-DOTA-Gd3+-labeled EPCs could be observed and tracked by MRI for a long time and analyzed the change in the migration of the labeled cells. The ability of Dex-DOTA-Gd3+ to provide a clear pattern of cell migration to the limb was confirmed and most importantly, a different behavioral pattern was identified in the migration of labeled cells when an anomaly appeared in the MRI acquisition images 5 days post transplantation.
Keywords: Magnetic resonance imaging, dextran, progenitor cells, granuloma
