Near-infrared fluorescence imaging of mouse myocardial microvascular endothelium using Cy5.5-lectin conjugate.

Cy5.5-lectin, a non-toxic conjugate, combines the benefits of near-infrared (NIR) imaging, such as significant reduction of background fluorescence and increased tissue depth penetration, with its affinity for vascular endothelial cells. When compared to endothelial staining methods using FITC-lectin and ICAM2 antibodies, Cy5.

Chronic care and monitoring of woodchucks (Marmota monax) during repeated magnetic resonance imaging of the liver.

We monitored the development of hepatocellular carcinoma due to chronic infection with woodchuck hepatitis virus by using monthly serum samples, physical examination, and magnetic resonance imaging. The same woodchucks can be imaged repeatedly over a 1-y period by allowing the animals to recover after each experiment, thus reducing the number of animals required without compromising the quality of the data obtained. Age- and sex-matched uninfected control (n = 5) and chronically infected (n = 5) woodchucks were group-housed according to sex and infection status.

Functional MRI of the rat lumbar spinal cord involving painful stimulation and the effect of peripheral joint mobilization.

Purpose: To examine neuronal activation in the spinal cord due to secondary hyperalgesia resulting from intrajoint capsaicin injection, and the effect of physiotherapy manipulation, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), in alpha-chloralose anesthetized rats.

Materials And Methods: FMRI of the rat lumbar spinal cord was performed at 9.4 Tesla.

Functional MRI involving painful stimulation of the ankle and the effect of physiotherapy joint mobilization.

We examined whether cerebral activation due to secondary hyperalgesia resulting from intrajoint capsaicin injection could be detected using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in alpha-chloralose anesthetized rats. We also examined whether we could detect analgesic changes in the central nervous system response to pain as a result of physiotherapy joint manipulation. Robust activation of areas of the brain known to be associated with the processing of pain, namely the anterior cingulate (bilateral), frontal cortex (bilateral) and sensory motor cortex (contralateral), was found in all animals following injection of 25 microl of capsaicin (128 microg/ml in 7.

Does retrograde warm blood cardioplegia provide equal protection to both ventricles? A magnetic resonance spectroscopy study in pigs.

Background: The degree of protection provided to the right ventricle during retrograde continuous normothermic blood cardioplegia (RCNBC) remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to determine whether RCNBC is able to provide "adequate" nutritive flow to both ventricles to prevent ischemic metabolism in normal swine hearts. Localized 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was used to monitor the changes in energy metabolism and intracellular pH (pHi) in each ventricle separately.