Tracking of transplanted mesenchymal stem cells labeled with fluorescent magnetic nanoparticle in liver cirrhosis rat model with 3-T MRI.
In vivo visualization of transplanted stem cells with noninvasive technique is essential for the monitoring of cell implantation, homing and differentiation. At present, superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) is most commonly used for cell labeling. However, stem cells lack phagocytic capacity and transfection agent is required for sufficient internalization of SPIO for cellular imaging. However, the potential hazards of transfection agents are not fully investigated. Instead of SPIO, we used commercially available new tagging material, fluorescent magnetic nanoparticle (MNP) containing rhodamine B isothiocyanate within a silica shell (Biterials, Seoul, Korea). This tagging material does not require transfection agents for the cell labeling. In addition to that, the core of this MNP is composed of ferrite and the inner portion of silica shell contains fluorescent materials, therefore, it has both magnetic and optical features. This study was designed to track intrasplenically injected bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) labeled with fluorescent MNP in liver cirrhosis rat model with 3-T magnetic resonance equipment. We compared magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of livers in rats which were injected with non-labeled stem cells or labeled stem cells with MNP or SPIO. We found that the respective liver-to-muscle contrast-to-noise ratios at 3 and 5 h after MNP or SPIO-labeled stem cell injection was significantly lower than that of pre-injection and non-labeled group. There was no significant difference between MNP-labeled group and SPIO-labeled group. We can effectively detect intrasplenically injected MNP-labeled MSCs in an experimental rat model of liver cirrhosis with 3-T MRI.
Kim
Tae Hee
TH
Department of Radiology, Ajou University, School of Medicine, Kyongi-Do, South Korea.
Kim
Jai Keun
JK
Shim
Wooyoung
W
Kim
Sun Yong
SY
Park
Tae Jun
TJ
Jung
Jae Yeon
JY
D000818:Animals; D058948:Cell Tracking / Q000379:methods*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; D008297:Male; D045164:Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles