Retention of the radiotracers 64Cu-ATSM and 64Cu-PTSM in human and murine tumors is influenced by MDR1 protein expression.

Unlabelled: Tumor hypoxia is often associated with resistance to chemotherapy. Multidrug resistance type 1 (MDR1) protein is a member of the adenosine triphosphate binding cassette (ABC) proteins, some of which are involved in the multidrug resistance (MDR) phenotype in tumors. Many studies have focused on the role of these proteins in modulating drug resistance, but their effect on retention of imaging agents is less well studied.

Dermatan carriers for neovascular transport targeting, deep tumor penetration and improved therapy.

A new approach to functional tumor imaging and deep interstitial penetration of therapeutic agents is to target the upregulated transport activities of neovascular endothelium. Agents are formulated with the anionic glycosaminoglycan, 435-type dermatan sulfate (DS 435, 22.2 kDa), chemically enriched for oligosaccharide sequences that confer high heparin cofactor II binding and correlate with high tumor uptake.

A fully coupled binary biochemical reactive-diffusion model with analytic solution.

Coupled multicomponent biochemical reactive diffusion underlies a variety of biological signalling processes and pharmacokinetic applications, such as paracrine signalling involving "cocktails" comprised of growth promoter/inhibitor factors and proteases associated with tumor angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis, extravascular drug delivery, and polymeric controlled-release drug codelivery design. Here, we present a model and develop a new analytic solution to illustrate the spatiotemporal behavior associated with fully coupled binary biochemical reactive diffusion. The complete coupling renders the solution appreciably more complex in structure and behavior than solutions for unicomponent or partially coupled models.

Bone phenotype of the aromatase deficient mouse.

Estrogens are important for normal bone growth and metabolism. The mechanisms are incompletely understood. Thus, we have undertaken characterization of the skeletal phenotype of aromatase (ArKO) deficient mice.

Analytic treatment of resolution precision in electronically collimated SPECT imaging involving multiple-interaction gamma rays.

The widely applied single-interaction analytic expression characterizing the energy resolution component of the angular resolution precision for an electronically collimated point source is extended to include multiple-interaction Compton scatter sequences as well as sequences terminated by photoelectric absorption. The analytic formulation is developed using the statistical variance of the mean for components comprising composite, multivariate resolution precision estimators. It is demonstrated that enhanced resolution precision in the incident interaction scatter angle is attained when use is made of information from multiple interactions.

SPECT electronic collimation resolution enhancement using chi-square minimization.

An electronic collimation technique is developed which utilizes the chi-square goodness-of-fit measure to filter scattered gammas incident upon a medical imaging detector. In this data mining technique, Compton kinematic expressions are used as the chi-square fitting templates for measured energy-deposition data involving multiple-interaction scatter sequences. Fit optimization is conducted using the Davidon variable metric minimization algorithm to simultaneously determine the best-fit gamma scatter angles and their associated uncertainties, with the uncertainty associated with the first scatter angle corresponding to the angular resolution precision for the source.

Submaximal delayed-onset muscle soreness: correlations between MR imaging findings and clinical measures.

Purpose: To assess correlations between muscle edema on magnetic resonance (MR) images and clinical indexes of muscle injury in delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) produced by submaximal exercise protocols.

Materials And Methods: Sixteen subjects performed 36 elbow flexions ("biceps curls") at one of two submaximal workloads that emphasized eccentric contractions. Changes in MR imaging findings, plasma levels of creatine kinase, and pain scores were correlated.

The MR appearance of volume overload in the lower extremities.

Purpose: Our goal was to describe the MR findings of volume overload (VO) in the lower extremities.

Method: Fifteen individuals were studied, including eight healthy controls and seven patients with VO (four cardiac, three renal). MR evaluation included various SE techniques.

Quantitative MR imaging of the heart.

MR imaging cardiac quantitation is accurate, highly reproducible, and feasible using equipment available in most hospitals. For determination of myocardial mass, evaluation of RV function, and quantitative measurements of flow in the great vessels and peripheral vasculature, MR imaging is the reference method. Availability of methods for rapid scanning and analysis will lead to increased use of cardiac MR imaging in quantifying cardiac function.

Measurement of absolute epicardial coronary artery flow and flow reserve with breath-hold cine phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: Noninvasive measurement of absolute coronary arterial flow and coronary flow reserve would be of considerable use in the diagnosis and management of patients with coronary artery disease. Phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used to measure flow in a variety of vessels. The goal of the present study was to determine if MRI measurements of coronary artery flow in a single breath-hold can be used to determine flow reserve and the severity of pericardial stenosis.

High-voltage electric injury: assessment of muscle viability with MR imaging and Tc-99m pyrophosphate scintigraphy.

Purpose: To evaluate use of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and technetium-99m pyrophosphate (PYP) scintigraphy in preoperative assessment of muscle viability after high-voltage electric injury.

Materials And Methods: Twelve injured limbs were studied. Immediate, equilibrium, and delayed Tc-99m PYP scintigrams and gadolinium-enhanced and unenhanced MR images were obtained.

Synthesis and evaluation of a new class of technetium-99m monocationic radiotracers from dithienyldiazalkanes.

Monocationic 99mTc complexes, [99mTcO2 (THEN)]+ and [99mTcO2(THPN)]+ derived from a new class of N2S2 chelators diethienyldiazalkanes, namely 1,6-di(2-thienyl)-2,5-diazahexane (THEN) and 1,7-di- (2-thienyl)-4,4-dimethyl-2,6-diazaheptane (THPN), have been synthesized using Sn(II) tartrate reduction of [99mTc]pertechnetate at pH 9 and extraction of the complexes as ion pairs with trifluoromethane sulfonate anion (CF3SO3-) in high radiochemical yield (approximately 90%). Radiochemical analysis of the 99mTc complexes using chromatography (Whatman Cellulose CEL300 DEAE anion exchange strip, MEK) and paper chromatography (Whatman I, acetone) revealed high radiochemical purity (> 90%). High octanol-saline partition coefficients (> 37) of [99mTcO2(THEN)]+ and [99mTcO2(THPN)]+ indicated a lipophilic nature of the complexes.

Pulmonary embolism: comparison of MR images with radionuclide and angiographic studies.

Purpose: To assess the accuracy and potential of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in evaluation of patients in whom pulmonary embolism is suspected.

Materials And Methods: Blinded, prospective interpretations of multiphasic, cardiac-gated spin-echo MR images were compared with retrospective chart review in 86 patients in whom pulmonary embolism was suspected. In 64 patients, the presence or absence of pulmonary emboli was established with x-ray angiography (n = 34) or ventilation-perfusion (V-P) scans and concurrent clinical impression (n = 30).

Lumbar muscle usage in chronic low back pain. Magnetic resonance image evaluation.

Methods for detecting recruitment patterns of the lumbar muscles during exercise in patients with chronic low back pain are limited. This article discusses the use of magnetic resonance imaging with Roman chair extension exercise to examine lumbar muscle usage in five normal volunteers, five chronic low back pain patients without surgery, and five chronic low back pain patients with surgery. Changes in signal intensities of psoas, multifidus, and longissimus/iliocostalis with graded exercise were measured at three lumbar disc levels.

Denervated human skeletal muscle: MR imaging evaluation.

Because determination of neurologic integrity after severe limb trauma is crucial in patient care, the authors assessed magnetic resonance (MR) imaging as a tool to map denervated motor units of skeletal muscle in patients with traumatic peripheral neuropathy. Denervation was confirmed in 22 patients with use of electromyography, surgery, or both. MR imaging was performed with moderately T1- and T2-weighted spin-echo and short-tau inversion-recovery (STIR) sequences.

Synthesis and evaluation of technetium-99m monocationic mixed ligand complexes of phenyl substituted/condensed tetradentate Schiff's bases and trimethylphosphine.

Tc-99m monocationic mixed ligand complexes of phenyl substituted/condensed Schiff's bases, N,N'-ethylene-bis-(benzoylacetone imine) (Lb) or N,N'-ethylene-bis-(salicylaldehyde imine) (Lc) or N,N'-ethylene-bis-(2-hydroxyacetophenone imine) (Ld) and trimethylphosphine were synthesized to determine the influence of the presence of a phenyl group in these tracers on their heart uptake in rats. A new formulation procedure using aq. beta-hydroxypropylcyclodextrin (HPB) solution was developed for intravenous administration of nonpolar 99mTc complexes.

Effect of perfusion on exercised muscle: MR imaging evaluation.

An ischemic clamp model of exercise was used to evaluate the potential role of blood flow in mediating changes in the magnetic resonance imaging appearance of skeletal muscle. Proton relaxation times of muscle were serially estimated in 10 healthy subjects (a) before exercise, (b) after exercise in the presence of vascular occlusion (VO1), (c) during vascular reocclusion after 1 minute of reperfusion (VO2), and (d) after reinstitution of continuous flow. T1 and T2 of active muscles were increased during VO1.

Finger-specific flexor recruitment in humans: depiction by exercise-enhanced MRI.

To evaluate the spatial distribution of human forearm musculature stressed by finger-specific exercise, magnetic resonance imaging was performed in conjunction with exercise protocols designed to separately stress the flexor digitorum superficialis and flexor digitorum profundus. These muscles were shown to consist of subvolumes selectively recruited by flexion of the individual fingers. Knowledge of the finger-specific regions of muscle recruitment during finger flexion could improve sampling accuracy in electromyography, biopsy, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and invasive vascular sampling studies of hand exercise.

Absence of exercise-induced MRI enhancement of skeletal muscle in McArdle's disease.

To assess the role of glycogenolysis in mediating exercise-induced increases in muscle water as monitored by changes in muscle proton relaxation times on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cross-sectional area (CSA), five patients with myophosphorylase deficiency (MPD) were compared with seven controls. Absolute and relative work loads were matched during ischemic handgrip and graded cycling, respectively. Relaxation times of active muscle did not increase after handgrip in MPD (T1: 1 +/- 14%, P greater than 0.

Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of hypoperfused myocardium.

Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging can define myocardial perfusion defects due to acute coronary occlusion. However, since most clinically important diagnostic examinations involve coronary arteries with subtotal stenoses, we investigated the ability of MR imaging with a manganese contrast agent to detect perfusion abnormalities in a canine model of partial coronary artery stenosis. The contrast agent was administered after the creation of a partial coronary artery stenosis with the addition of the coronary vasodilator dipyridamole in six of 12 animals.

Fast short-tau inversion-recovery MR imaging.

To enhance the versatility of the short-tau inversion-recovery (STIR) sequences, the authors determined a range of repetition time (TR) and inversion time (TI) combinations that suppress signal intensity from fat by study of both patient and phantom images. To make fast STIR images, variations in the following pulsing conditions were studied with use of an interactive computer program: decreasing the TR, limiting the number of excitations, and limiting the number of phase-encoding steps. The authors found that (a) STIR imaging need not be time consuming, (b) fat suppression can be accomplished at shorter TR by using shorter TI, and (c) short-TR fast STIR imaging is sensitive to enhancement with gadopentetate dimeglumine.

Automated localization and identification of lower spinal anatomy in magnetic resonance images.

Clinical interpretation of the subtle changes present in MR images in the setting of disease currently relies on subjective image analysis. Image evaluation could potentially be improved by computerized segmentation and precise quantification of the image anatomy. However, this cannot be automated unless reliable navigation within an image is established, capable of compensating for unpredictable factors such as anatomical variability, positioning of an image plane in the body, and variable image characteristics.

Regional cardiac adrenergic function using I-123 meta-iodobenzylguanidine tomographic imaging after acute myocardial infarction.

The effect of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) on regional cardiac adrenergic function was studied in 27 patients mean +/- standard deviation 10 +/- 4 days after AMI. Regional adrenergic function was evaluated noninvasively with I-123 meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) using a dedicated 3-detector tomograph. Four hours after its administration, there was reduced MIBG uptake in the region of infarction, 0.