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American Heart Association, Circulation Research, 5(112), p. 755-761, 2013

DOI: 10.1161/circresaha.111.300576

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Polymeric nanoparticle PET/MR imaging allows macrophage detection in atherosclerotic plaques

This paper is available in a repository.
This paper is available in a repository.

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Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

Rationale: Myeloid cell content in atherosclerotic plaques associates with rupture and thrombosis. Thus, imaging of lesional monocytes and macrophages could serve as a biomarker of disease progression and therapeutic intervention. Objective: To noninvasively assess plaque inflammation with dextran nanoparticle (DNP)-facilitated hybrid positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI). Methods and Results: Using clinically approved building blocks, we systematically developed 13-nm polymeric nanoparticles consisting of cross-linked short chain dextrans, which were modified with desferoxamine for zirconium-89 radiolabeling ( 89 Zr-DNP) and a near-infrared fluorochrome (VT680) for microscopic and cellular validation. Flow cytometry of cells isolated from excised aortas showed DNP uptake predominantly in monocytes and macrophages (76.7%) and lower signal originating from other leukocytes, such as neutrophils and lymphocytes (11.8% and 0.7%, P <0.05 versus monocytes and macrophages). DNP colocalized with the myeloid cell marker CD11b on immunohistochemistry. PET/MRI revealed high uptake of 89 Zr-DNP in the aortic root of apolipoprotein E knock out (ApoE −/− ) mice (standard uptake value, ApoE −/− mice versus wild-type controls, 1.9±0.28 versus 1.3±0.03; P <0.05), corroborated by ex vivo scintillation counting and autoradiography. Therapeutic silencing of the monocyte-recruiting receptor C-C chemokine receptor type 2 with short-interfering RNA decreased 89 Zr-DNP plaque signal ( P <0.05) and inflammatory gene expression ( P <0.05). Conclusions: Hybrid PET/MRI with a 13-nm DNP enables noninvasive assessment of inflammation in experimental atherosclerotic plaques and reports on therapeutic efficacy of anti-inflammatory therapy.