Vessel size imaging (VSI) by robust magnetic resonance (MR) relaxometry: MR-VSI of solid tumors in correlation with immunohistology and intravital microscopy

Mol Imaging. 2013 Oct;12(7):1-11.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate a robust magnetic resonance (MR) vessel size imaging (VSI) method for the noninvasive assessment of mean vessel size in solid tumors in a clinical dose range of ultrasmall superparamagnetic particles of iron oxide (USPIO). Therefore, USPIO-enhanced MR-VSI was performed on DU-4475, MDA-MB-435, and EOMA tumor-bearing mice xenografts with known differences in angiogenic activity and vessel morphology. MR results were compared to vessel sizes determined by immunohistochemistry (anti-CD31) and by intravital microscopy (IVM). MR-VSI revealed significantly different mean vessel sizes between the xenograft models at both USPIO doses (DU-4475: 20.6 ± 4.9 μm; MDA-MB-435: 37.4 ± 8.8 μm; and EOMA: 60.3 ±9.6 μm at 80 μmol/kg; p < .05). Immunohistochemistry revealed lower values for all tumor entities, whereas the size distribution was in line with MR-measurements. IVM corroborated the MR results for DU-4475 and MDA-MB435, but showed similar vessel sizes for MDA-MB-435 and EOMA. Our MR-VSI method allowed a noninvasive estimation of the mean vessel size in mice xenograft solid tumors with variable vascularity using a clinically relevant USPIO dose range.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors / therapeutic use*
  • Animals
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Dextrans
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Indoles / therapeutic use*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging* / instrumentation
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging* / methods
  • Magnetite Nanoparticles
  • Mice
  • Mice, Nude
  • Microscopy / methods
  • Neoplasm Transplantation
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / blood supply*
  • Neoplasms, Experimental / drug therapy
  • Neovascularization, Pathologic*
  • Pyrroles / therapeutic use*
  • Random Allocation
  • Sunitinib

Substances

  • Angiogenesis Inhibitors
  • Dextrans
  • Indoles
  • Magnetite Nanoparticles
  • Pyrroles
  • ferumoxtran-10
  • Sunitinib