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Abstract #2854

MRI of Cardiac Function and Apoptosis in Fas Ligand Mouse Model of Dilated Cardiomyopathy and Heart Failure

Patrick Winter 1 , Xiaoyang Qi 2 , Zhengtao Chu 2 , Enkhsaikhan Purevjav 3 , and Jeffrey Towbin 3

1 Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, United States, 2 Hematology and Oncology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States, 3 Heart Institute, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, United States

The Fas ligand (FasL) is a signaling protein that causes programmed cell death, also called apoptosis. An MRI contrast agent targeted to apoptosis can be formulated by incorporating paramagnetic chelates onto SapC-DOPS vesicles. Mice that overexpress FasL in the heart were imaged at 7T with standard cardiac MRI and molecular imaging of apoptosis. Cardiac MRI revealed that the transgenic mice had impaired ejection fraction and left ventricular hypertrophy. Injection of Gd-SapC-DOPS vesicles produced higher signal enhancement in FasL mice compared to the control animals, suggesting myocardial apoptosis in this animal model.

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