US Molecular Imaging of Acute Ileitis: Anti-Inflammatory Treatment Response Monitored with Targeted Microbubbles in a Preclinical Model.

Purpose To evaluate whether dual-selectin-targeted US molecular imaging allows longitudinal monitoring of anti-inflammatory treatment effects in an acute terminal ileitis model in swine. Materials and Methods The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approved all animal studies. Fourteen swine with chemically induced acute terminal ileitis (day 0) were randomized into the following groups: (a) an anti-inflammatory treatment group (n = 8; meloxicam, 0.

Anatomical Road Mapping Using CT and MR Enterography for Ultrasound Molecular Imaging of Small Bowel Inflammation in Swine.

Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility and time saving of fusing CT and MR enterography with ultrasound for ultrasound molecular imaging (USMI) of inflammation in an acute small bowel inflammation of swine.

Methods: Nine swine with ileitis were scanned with either CT (n = 3) or MR (n = 6) enterography. Imaging times to load CT/MR images onto a clinical ultrasound machine, fuse them to ultrasound with an anatomical landmark-based approach, and identify ileitis were compared to the imaging times without anatomical road mapping.

Quantitative Assessment of Inflammation in a Porcine Acute Terminal Ileitis Model: US with a Molecularly Targeted Contrast Agent.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and reproducibility of ultrasonography (US) performed with dual-selectin-targeted contrast agent microbubbles (MBs) for assessment of inflammation in a porcine acute terminal ileitis model, with histologic findings as a reference standard.

Materials And Methods: The study had institutional Animal Care and Use Committee approval. Acute terminal ileitis was established in 19 pigs; four pigs served as control pigs.

Fast microbubble dwell-time based ultrasonic molecular imaging approach for quantification and monitoring of angiogenesis in cancer.

PURPOSE: To develop and test a fast ultrasonic molecular imaging technique for quantification and monitoring of angiogenesis in cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A new software algorithm measuring the dwell time of contrast microbubbles in near real-time (henceforth, fast method) was developed and integrated in a clinical ultrasound system. In vivo quantification and monitoring of tumor angiogenesis during anti-VEGF antibody therapy was performed in human colon cancer xenografts in mice (n=20) using the new fast method following administration of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (VEGFR2)-targeted contrast microbubbles.

Quantitative assessment of tumor angiogenesis using real-time motion-compensated contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging.

Purpose: To develop and test a real-time motion compensation algorithm for contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging of tumor angiogenesis on a clinical ultrasound system.

Materials And Methods: The Administrative Institutional Panel on Laboratory Animal Care approved all experiments. A new motion correction algorithm measuring the sum of absolute differences in pixel displacements within a designated tracking box was implemented in a clinical ultrasound machine.

Validation of dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound in rodent kidneys as an absolute quantitative method for measuring blood perfusion.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has demonstrated utility in the monitoring of blood flow in tissues, organs and tumors. However, current CEUS methods typically provide only relative image-derived measurements, rather than quantitative values of blood flow in milliliters/minute per gram of tissue. In this study, CEUS derived parameters of blood flow are compared with absolute measurements of blood flow in rodent kidneys.

Quantitative volumetric perfusion mapping of the microvasculature using contrast ultrasound.

Objectives: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging has demonstrated significant potential as a noninvasive technology for monitoring blood flow in the microvasculature. With the application of nondestructive contrast imaging pulse sequences combined with a clearance-refill approach, it is possible to create quantitative time-to-refill maps of tissue correlating to blood perfusion rate. One limitation to standard two-dimensional (2D) perfusion imaging is that the narrow elevational beamwidth of 1- or 1.

Motion corrected cadence CPS ultrasound for quantifying response to vasoactive drugs in a rat kidney model.

Objective: To establish the ability of contrast-enhanced motion corrected cadence pulse sequencing (CPS) to detect changes in renal blood flow induced by vasoactive substances in rats.

Methods: Ultrasound contrast media was administered as a constant rate infusion into a phantom at a known rate and CPS data acquired. Rats were anesthetized and predrug CPS estimates of replenishment rate were made for the right kidney.