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Updated: May 6, 2026
MRI and PET in Mouse Models of Myocardial Infarction
Published on: December 19, 2013
Assessment of three techniques for delivering stem cells to the heart using PET and MR imaging
Esmat Elhami1, Bryson Dietz, Bo Xiang
1Department of Physics, University of Winnipeg, 515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg MB R3B 2E9, Canada. e.elhami@uwinnipeg.ca.
Insights
Directly injecting stem cells into the heart muscle is most effective for treating heart failure. Positron emission tomography-magnetic resonance imaging (PET-MRI) reliably tracks stem cell delivery and retention in vivo.
Area of Science:
- Regenerative Medicine
- Cardiovascular Research
- Biomedical Imaging
Background:
- Stem cell therapy shows promise for treating degenerative diseases like congestive heart failure (CHF).
- Evaluating different stem cell delivery methods to the heart is crucial for effective CHF treatment.
- Non-invasive imaging techniques are needed to assess stem cell distribution post-administration.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the efficacy of various stem cell delivery methods for treating congestive heart failure (CHF).
- To utilize Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for assessing stem cell distribution.
- To compare cell retention rates based on administration route and timing.
Main Methods:
- Adipose-derived stem cells from male rats were labeled with SPIO and 18F-FDG.
- Acute myocardial injury was induced in female rats via LAD occlusion.
- Stem cells were injected into the ischemic myocardium, left ventricle, or tail vein immediately after occlusion, or into the infarct rim one week later.
- Whole-body PET and MR imaging were used to track stem cell biodistribution, with final retention confirmed by Y-chromosome cDNA measurement.
Main Results:
- Direct myocardial injection yielded the highest stem cell retention in the heart (14% ± 4%).
- Left ventricle injection resulted in 3.5% ± 0.9% retention, while tail vein injection showed the lowest (1.2% ± 0.6%).
- Cell retention was significantly lower (4.5% ± 1.1%) when injected one week post-injury, indicating impaired homing due to tissue damage.
Conclusions:
- PET-MR imaging is a reliable method for non-invasive in vivo tracking of transplanted stem cells.
- Direct intramyocardial injection is the most effective strategy for cardiac stem cell transplantation in heart failure models.
- Early intervention and direct delivery enhance stem cell engraftment in the injured myocardium.
Background:
Stem cell therapy has a promising potential for the curing of various degenerative diseases, including congestive heart failure (CHF). In this study, we determined the efficacy of different delivery methods for stem cell administration to the heart for the treatment of CHF. Both positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were utilized to assess the distribution of delivered stem cells.
Methods:
Adipose-derived stem cells of male rats were labeled with super-paramagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) and 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). The left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) of the female rats was occluded to induce acute ischemic myocardial injury. Immediately after the LAD occlusion, the double-labeled stem cells were injected into the ischemic myocardium (n = 5), left ventricle (n = 5), or tail vein (n = 4). In another group of animals (n = 3), the stem cells were injected directly into the infarct rim 1 week after the LAD occlusion. Whole-body PET images and MR images were acquired to determine biodistribution of the stem cells. After the imaging, the animals were euthanized and retention of the stem cells in the vital organs was determined by measuring the cDNA specific to the Y chromosome.
Results:
PET images showed that retention of the stem cells in the ischemic myocardium was dependent on the cell delivery method. The tail vein injection resulted in the least cell retention in the heart (1.2% ± 0.6% of total injected cells). Left ventricle injection led to 3.5% ± 0.9% cell retention and direct myocardial injection resulted in the highest rate of cell retention (14% ± 4%) in the heart. In the animals treated 1 week after the LAD occlusion, rate of cell retention in the heart was only 4.5% ±1.1%, suggesting that tissue injury has a negative impact on cell homing. In addition, there was a good agreement between the results obtained through PET-MR imaging and histochemical measurements.
Conclusion:
PET-MR imaging is a reliable technique for noninvasive tracking of implanted stem cells in vivo. Direct injection of stem cells into the myocardium is the most effective way for cell transplantation to the heart in heart failure models.
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