In this work, we determined the minimum number of detectable 111In-tropolone-labelled bone-marrow-derived stem cells from the maximum activity per cell which did not affect viability, proliferation and differentiation, and the minimum detectable activity (MDA) of 111In by SPECT. Canine bone marrow mesenchymal cells were isolated, cultured and expanded. A number of samples, each containing 5x10(6) cells, were labelled with 111In-tropolone from 0.1 to 18 MBq, and cell viability was measured afterwards for each sample for 2 weeks. To determine the MDA, the anthropomorphic torso phantom (DataSpectrum Corporation, Hillsborough, NC) was used. A point source of 202 kBq 111In was placed on the surface of the heart compartment, and the phantom and all compartments were then filled with water. Three 111In SPECT scans (duration: 16, 32 and 64 min; parameters: 128x128 matrix with 128 projections over 360 degrees) were acquired every three days until the 111In radioactivity decayed to undetectable quantities. 111In SPECT images were reconstructed using OSEM with and without background, scatter or attenuation corrections. Contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) in the reconstructed image was calculated, and MDA was set equal to the 111In activity corresponding to a CNR of 4. The cells had 100% viability when incubated with no more than 0.9 MBq of 111In (80% labelling efficiency), which corresponded to 0.14 Bq per cell. Background correction improved the detection limits for 111In-tropolone-labelled cells. The MDAs for 16, 32 and 64 min scans with background correction were observed to be 1.4 kBq, 700 Bq and 400 Bq, which implies that, in the case where the location of the transplantation is known and fixed, as few as 10,000, 5000 and 2900 cells respectively can be detected.

Background-Recent developments in cardiac MRI have extended the potential spectrum of diagnostic and interventional applications. The purpose of this study was to test the ability of MRI to perform transcatheter closures of secundum type atrial septal defects (ASD) and to assess ASD size and changes in right cardiac chamber volumes in the same investigation. Methods and Results-In 7 domestic swine (body weight, 38Ϯ13 kg), an ASD (Q p :Q s ϭ1.7Ϯ0.2) was created percutaneously by balloon dilation of the fossa ovalis. The ASD was imaged and sized by both conventional radiography and MRI. High-resolution MRI of the ASD diameters correlated well with postmortem examination (rϭ0.97). Under real-time MR fluoroscopy, the introducer sheath was tracked toward the left atrium with the use of novel miniature MR guide wires. The defect was then closed with an Amplatzer Septal Occluder. In all animals, it was possible to track and interactively control the position of the guide wire within the vessels and the heart, including the successful deployment of the Amplatzer Septal Occluder. Right atrial and ventricular volumes were calculated before and after the intervention by using cine-MRI. Both volumes were found to be significantly reduced after ASD closure (PϽ0.005). Conclusions-These

We validated a CT perfusion technique with beam hardening (BH) correction for quantitative measurement of myocardial blood flow (MBF). Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was created in four pigs by occluding the distal LAD for 1 h followed by reperfusion. MBF was measured from dynamic contrast enhanced CT (DCE-CT) scanning of the heart, with correction of cardiac motion and BH, before ischemic insult and on day 7, 10 and 14 post. On day 14 post, radiolabeled microspheres were injected to measure MBF and the results were compared with those measured by CT perfusion. Excised hearts were stained with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) to determine the relationship between MBF measured by CT Perfusion and myocardial viability. MBF measured by CT perfusion was strongly correlated with that by microspheres over a wide range of MBF values (R = 0.81, from 25 to 225 ml min(-1) 100 g(-1)). While MBF in the LAD territory decreased significantly from 98.4 ± 2.5 ml min(-1) 100 g(-1) at baseline to 32.2 ± 9.1 ml min(-1) 100 g(-1), P < 0.05 at day 7 and to 49.4 ± 9.3 ml min(-1) 100 g(-1), P < 0.05 at day 14, the decrease in remote myocardium (LCx territory) from baseline (103.9 ± 1.9 ml min(-1) 100 g(-1)) was minimal throughout the study (90.6 ± 5.1 ml min(-1) 100 g(-1) on day 14 post, P > 0.05). TTC staining confirmed incomplete infarction in the LAD territory and no infarction in the LCx territory. Microvascular obstruction in infarcted tissue resulted in no-reflow and hence persistently low MBF in the reperfused LAD territory which contained a mixture of viable and non-viable tissue. CT perfusion measurement of MBF was accurate and correlated well with histology and microspheres measurements.