title: Imaging Myocardial Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury via Cy5.5-Annexin V.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this article is to present the results of an imaging study of myocardial apoptosis induced by ischemia/reperfusion injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty nude mice were randomly divided into an experimental group (10 mice) and control group (10 mice). In the experimental group, myocardial apoptosis was induced by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) for 30 min. This was followed by reperfusion for 90 min. In the control group, the heart was exposed for the same length of time as in the experimental group. Cy5.5-annexin V (25 μg) was injected into both sets of mice after the onset of reperfusion. At 90 min post-injection, the mice were imaged. The region of interest (ROI) was obtained, and the fluorescence intensity of the ROI was quantified. The animals were sacrificed, and myocardial apoptosis was assayed by TUNEL assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fluorescence intensity in the ischemia/reperfusion hearts was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). In the TUNEL assay, more apoptotic cells were observed in the experimental group than in the control group, correlating with imaging results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fluorescence imaging of Cy5.5-annexin V in a mouse model of myocardial ischemia/reperfusion can be used in vivo as a noninvasive means of detecting ischemia/reperfusion-induced apoptotic cells in the heart.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Sichuan University, 37 Guoxuexiang, Chengdu, China 610041.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 800170, Charlottesville, VA 22908 USA.
authors.forename: DongFeng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pan
keywords: Apoptosis; Cy5.5-annexin V; Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion; Optical image