Noninvasive and quantitative assessment of in vivo angiogenesis using RGD-based fluorescence imaging of subcutaneous sponges.
OBJECTIVE
There is a real need to adapt simple and reproducible imaging methodologies to evaluate noninvasively pro- and antiangiogenic activities of new treatments in a physiological context in mice.


METHODS
The angiogenic response to fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF-2) in a model of subcutaneously implanted cellulose sponges was measured in parallel after an intravenous injection of a fluorescent αvβ3 integrin-targeting molecule (Angiolone(TM)) and an fluorescence diffuse optical tomography optical imaging system and by measuring the hemoglobin content in the sponges.


RESULTS
Optical measurements of angiogenesis correlated perfectly with the values obtained using hemoglobin quantification. This assay can be used to follow the activity of a pro- or antiangiogenic treatment like demonstrated after FGF-2 or angiostatin, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The perfectly controlled quality of cellulose sponges combined to this noninvasive optical method allow rapid, accurate, and reproducible measurements of angiogenic activities in vivo at the preclinical level.
Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale INSERM, Unité 823, Institut Albert Bonniot, Grenoble, France.
Michelle
M
Keramidas
Véronique
V
Josserand
Jean-Jacques
JJ
Feige
Jean-Luc
JL
Coll
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D043168:Angiostatins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D005453:Fluorescence; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D040521:Subcutaneous Tissue / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects; D015503:Surgical Sponges
D020533:Angiogenesis Inhibitors; D009842:Oligopeptides; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2; C047981:arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid; D043168:Angiostatins