Glyoxalase-1 overexpression partially prevents diabetes-induced impaired arteriogenesis in a rat hindlimb ligation model.

We hypothesize that diabetes-induced impaired collateral formation after a hindlimb ligation in rats is in part caused by intracellular glycation and that overexpression of glyoxalase-I (GLO-I), i.e. the major detoxifying enzyme for advanced-glycation-endproduct (AGE) precursors, can prevent this.

Semi-automated quantitative intravoxel incoherent motion analysis and its implementation in breast diffusion-weighted imaging.

Background: To optimize and validate intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) modeled diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) compared with the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) for semi-automated analysis of breast lesions using a multi-reader setup.

Materials And Methods: Patients (n = 176) with breast lesions (≥1 cm) and known pathology were prospectively examined (1.5 Tesla) with DWI (b = 0, 50, 200, 500, 800, 1000 s/mm(2) ) between November 2008 and July 2014 and grouped into a training and test set.

Dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging of carotid atherosclerotic plaque: model selection, reproducibility, and validation.

Purpose: To compare four known pharmacokinetic models for their ability to describe dynamic contrast material-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of carotid atherosclerotic plaques, to determine reproducibility, and to validate the results with histologic findings.

Materials And Methods: The study was approved by the institutional medical ethics committee. Written informed consent was obtained from all patients.

Improving the reproducibility of MR-derived left ventricular volume and function measurements with a semi-automatic threshold-based segmentation algorithm.

To validate a novel semi-automatic segmentation algorithm for MR-derived volume and function measurements by comparing it with the standard method of manual contour tracing. The new algorithms excludes papillary muscles and trabeculae from the blood pool, while the manual approach includes these objects in the blood pool. An epicardial contour served as input for both methods.

Impact of right ventricular endocardial trabeculae on volumes and function assessed by CMR in patients with tetralogy of Fallot.

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of right ventricular (RV) trabeculae and papillary muscles on measured volumes and function assessed by cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot. Sixty-five patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot underwent routine cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging. Endocardial and epicardial contours were drawn manually and included trabeculae and papillary muscles in the blood volume.

Automated multiscale vessel analysis for the quantification of MR angiography of peripheral arteriogenesis.

Purpose: To automatically analyze the time course of collateralization in a rat hindlimb ischemia model based on signal intensity distribution (SID).

Materials And Methods: Time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiograms (TOF-MRA) were acquired in eight rats at 2, 7, and 21 days after unilateral femoral artery ligation. Analysis was performed on maximum intensity projections filtered with multiscale vessel enhancement filter.

MR angiography of collateral arteries in a hind limb ischemia model: comparison between blood pool agent Gadomer and small contrast agent Gd-DTPA.

The objective of this study was to compare the blood pool agent Gadomer with a small contrast agent for the visualization of ultra-small, collateral arteries (diameter<1 mm) with high resolution steady-state MR angiography (SS-MRA) in a rabbit hind limb ischemia model. Ten rabbits underwent unilateral femoral artery ligation. On days 14 and 21, high resolution SS-MRA (voxel size 0.

Optimized pharmacokinetic modeling for the detection of perfusion differences in skeletal muscle with DCE-MRI: effect of contrast agent size.

Purpose: The goal of this study was to optimize dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI analysis for differently sized contrast agents and to evaluate the sensitivity for microvascular differences in skeletal muscle.

Methods: In rabbits, pathophysiological perfusion differences between hind limbs were induced by unilateral femoral artery ligation. On days 14 and 21, DCE-MRI was performed using a medium-sized contrast agent (MCA) (Gadomer) or a small contrast agent (SCA) (Gd-DTPA).

Magnetic resonance imaging in peripheral arterial disease: reproducibility of the assessment of morphological and functional vascular status.

Objectives: The aim of the current study was to test the reproducibility of different quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods to assess the morphologic and functional peripheral vascular status and vascular adaptations over time in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

Materials And Methods: Ten patients with proven PAD (intermittent claudication) and arterial collateral formation within the upper leg and 10 healthy volunteers were included. All subjects underwent 2 identical MR examinations of the lower extremities on a clinical 1.

Reliability of pharmacokinetic parameters: small vs. medium-sized contrast agents.

Current clinical applications of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) are based on the extravasation of relatively small contrast agents (SCAs). SCAs are considered disadvantageous, as they require high image sampling rates. Medium-sized contrast agents (MCAs) leak more slowly into tissue and allow longer dynamic acquisition times, enabling improved image quality.

Differentiation of spinal cord arteries and veins by time-resolved MR angiography.

Purpose: To dynamically resolve the inlet arteries and outlet veins of the spinal cord, particularly the Adamkiewicz artery (AKA) and great anterior radiculomedullary vein (GARV), using MR angiography (MRA).

Materials And Methods: First, conventional two-phase angiography (acquisition time = 38-55 seconds) utilizing elliptic centric k-space ordering was applied to aortic-aneurysm patients. Changes of vessel intensity were compared between two subsequent dynamic phases.

Comparison of magnetic resonance with computed tomography angiography for preoperative localization of the Adamkiewicz artery in thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm patients.

Objective: Preoperative localization of the Adamkiewicz artery and its segmental supplier in advance of thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair is proposed to be useful to prevent postoperative paraplegia. The diagnostic potential of magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) was evaluated for the preoperative localization of the Adamkiewicz artery in white TAAA patients.

Methods: Thirty-nine consecutive patients with a TAA(A) scheduled for elective open surgical aortic repair preoperatively underwent MRA and CTA.