Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
In Vivo Imaging of Transduction Efficiencies of Cardiac Targeting Peptide
Published on: June 11, 2020
Digital optical imaging of green fluorescent proteins for tracking vascular gene expression: feasibility study in
1Department of Radiology, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Outpatient Center, Rm 4243, 601 N Caroline St, Baltimore, MD 21287-0845, USA. xyang@mri.jhu.edu
Purpose:
To investigate the feasibility of using a sensitive digital optical imaging technique to detect green fluorescent protein (GFP) expressed in rabbit vasculature and human arterial smooth muscle cells.
Materials And Methods:
A GFP plasmid was transfected into human arterial smooth muscle cells to obtain a GFP-smooth muscle cell solution. This solution was imaged in cell phantoms by using a prototype digital optical imaging system. For in vivo validation, a GFP-lentivirus vector was transfected during surgery into the carotid arteries of two rabbits, and GFP-targeted vessels were harvested for digital optical imaging ex vivo.
Results:
Optical imaging of cell phantoms resulted in a spatial resolution of 25 microm/pixel. Fluorescent signals were detected as diffusely distributed bright spots. At ex vivo optical imaging of arterial tissues, the average fluorescent signal was significantly higher (P <.05) in GFP-targeted tissues (mean +/- SD, 9,357.3 absolute units of density +/- 1,001.3) than in control tissues (5,633.7 absolute units of density +/- 985.2). Both fluorescence microscopic and immunohistochemical findings confirmed these differences between GFP-targeted and control vessels.
Conclusion:
The digital optical imaging system was sensitive to GFPs and may potentially provide an in vivo imaging tool to monitor and track vascular gene transfer and expression in experimental investigations.
