TY - JOUR A1 - Möckel, J. A1 - Brangsch, J. A1 - Reimann, C. A1 - Kaufmann, Jan Ole A1 - Sack, I. A1 - Mangarova, D. B. A1 - Kader, A. A1 - Taupitz, M. A1 - Adams, L. C. A1 - Keller, S. A1 - Ludwig, A. A1 - Hamm, B. A1 - Botnar, R. M. A1 - Makowski, M. R. T1 - Assessment of Albumin ECM Accumulation and Inflammation as Novel In Vivo Diagnostic Targets for Multi-Target MR Imaging JF - Biology N2 - Atherosclerosis is a progressive inflammatory vascular disease characterized by endothelial dysfunction and plaque burden. Extracellular matrix (ECM)-associated plasma proteins play an important role in disease development. Our magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study investigates the feasibility of using two different molecular MRI probes for the simultaneous assessment of ECM-associated intraplaque albumin deposits caused by endothelial damage and progressive inflammation in atherosclerosis. Male apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-)-mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 2 or 4 months. Another ApoE-/--group was treated with pravastatin and received a HFD for 4 months. T1- and T2*-weighted MRI was performed before and after albumin-specific MRI probe (gadofosveset) administration and a macrophage-specific contrast agent (ferumoxytol). Thereafter, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and histology were performed. With advancing atherosclerosis, albumin-based MRI signal enhancement and ferumoxytol-induced signal loss areas in T2*-weighted MRI increased. Significant correlations between contrast-to-noise-ratio (CNR) post-gadofosveset and albumin stain (R2 = 0.78, p < 0.05), and signal loss areas in T2*-weighted MRI with Perls’ Prussian blue stain (R2 = 0.83, p < 0.05) were observed. No interference of ferumoxytol with gadofosveset enhancement was detectable. Pravastatin led to decreased inflammation and intraplaque albumin. Multi-target MRI combining ferumoxytol and gadofosveset is a promising method to improve diagnosis and treatment monitoring in atherosclerosis. KW - Magnetic resonance imaging KW - MRI KW - Imaging KW - Human serum albumin KW - Extracellular matrix KW - Macrophages KW - Contrast agent KW - Atherosclerotic plaques KW - Gadofosveset KW - Aneurysm PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-536725 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10100964 VL - 10 IS - 10 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - MDPI CY - Basel AN - OPUS4-53672 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Brangsch, J. A1 - Reimann, C. A1 - Kaufmann, Jan Ole A1 - Adams, L. C. A1 - Onthank, D. A1 - Thöne-Reineke, C. A1 - Robinson, S. A1 - Wilke, Marco A1 - Weller, Michael G. A1 - Buchholz, R. A1 - Karst, U. A1 - Botnar, R. A1 - Hamm, B. A1 - Makowski, M. R. T1 - Molecular MR-Imaging for Noninvasive Quantification of the Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Targeting Interleukin-1β in a Mouse Model of Aortic Aneurysm JF - Molecular Imaging N2 - Background: Molecular-MRI is a promising imaging modality for the assessment of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) represents a new therapeutic tool for AAA-treatment, since pro-inflammatory cytokines are key-mediators of inflammation. This study investigates the potential of molecular-MRI to evaluate therapeutic effects of an anti-IL-1β-therapy on AAA-formation in a mouse-model. Methods: Osmotic-minipumps were implanted in apolipoprotein-deficient-mice (N = 27). One group (Ang-II+01BSUR group, n = 9) was infused with angiotensin-II (Ang-II) for 4 weeks and received an anti-murine IL-1β-antibody (01BSUR) 3 times. One group (Ang-II-group, n = 9) was infused with Ang-II for 4 weeks but received no treatment. Control-group (n = 9) was infused with saline and received no treatment. MR-imaging was performed using an elastin-specific gadolinium-based-probe (0.2 mmol/kg). Results: Mice of the Ang-II+01BSUR-group showed a lower aortic-diameter compared to mice of the Ang-II-group and control mice (p < 0.05). Using the elastin-specific-probe, a significant decrease in elastin-destruction was observed in mice of the Ang-II+01BSUR-group. In vivo MR-measurements correlated well with histopathology (y = 0.34x-13.81, R2 = 0.84, p < 0.05), ICP-MS (y = 0.02x+2.39; R2 = 0.81, p < 0.05) and LA-ICP-MS. Immunofluorescence and western-blotting confirmed a reduced IL-1β-expression. Conclusions: Molecular-MRI enables the early visualization and quantification of the anti-inflammatory-effects of an IL-1β-inhibitor in a mouse-model of AAAs. Responders and non-responders could be identified early after the initiation of the therapy using molecular-MRI. KW - Cardiovascular KW - Molecular-MRI KW - Magnetic resonance imaging KW - Gadolinium-based contrast agent KW - Elastin-specific contrast agent ESMA KW - Gadovist KW - Gadofosveset KW - MR Angiography KW - Inductively Coupled Mass Spectroscopy KW - Element Specific Bioimaging Using Laser Ablation KW - Visualization PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-517150 DO - https://doi.org/10.1177/1536012120961875 VL - 19 SP - 61875 PB - SAGE AN - OPUS4-51715 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Adams, L. C. A1 - Brangsch, J. A1 - Reimann, C. A1 - Kaufmann, Jan Ole A1 - Nowak, K. A1 - Buchholz, R. A1 - Karst, U. A1 - Botnar, R. M. A1 - Hamm, B. A1 - Makowski, M. R. T1 - Noninvasive imaging of vascular permeability to predict the risk of rupture in abdominal aortic aneurysms using an albumin binding probe JF - Scientific Reports N2 - Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) remains a fatal disease. Its development encompasses a complex interplay between hemodynamic stimuli on and changes in the arterial wall. Currently available biomarkers fail to predict the risk of AAA rupture independent of aneurysm size. Therefore, novel biomarkers for AAA characterization are needed. In this study, we used a mouse model of AAA to investigate the potential of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with an albumin-binding probe to assess changes in vascular permeability at different stages of aneurysm growth. Two imaging studies were performed: a longitudinal study with follow-up and death as endpoint to predict rupture risk and a week-by-week study to characterize AAA development. AAAs, which eventually ruptured, demonstrated a significantly higher in vivo MR signal enhancement from the albumin-binding probe (p = 0.047) and a smaller non-enhancing thrombus area compared to intact AAAs (p = 0.001). The ratio of albumin-binding-probe enhancement of the aneurysm wall to size of non-enhancing-thrombus-area predicted AAA rupture with high sensitivity/specificity (100%/86%). More advanced aneurysms with higher vascular permeability demonstrated an increased uptake of the albumin-binding-probe. These results indicate that MRI with an albumin-binding probe may enable noninvasive assessment of vascular permeability in murine AAAs and prediction of rupture risk. KW - Magnetic resonance imaging KW - Imaging KW - Tomography KW - Gadolinium KW - Contrast agent KW - Atherosclerosis KW - ICP-MS KW - Gadofosveset KW - Angiography KW - LA-ICP-MS PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-525541 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-59842-2 VL - 10 SP - Article number: 3231 PB - Springer Nature Limited CY - London, New York, Berlin, Shanghai and Tokyo AN - OPUS4-52554 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -