Imaging Cardiac Function with Manganese

钙是心肌细胞收缩所必需的。钙摄取和处理的改变在许多心肌病中都存在。因此，一种能够量化活细胞、动物和患者体内钙的方法将提供关于心脏生理和病理的有价值的信息。锰是一种钙类似物，通过钙通道进入收缩心肌细胞。可以使用磁共振成像(MRI)和正电子发射断层扫描(PET)来量化Mn2+水平，从而可以询问生命系统的心脏功能。该项目将开发新的基于Mn2+的成像方法，并使用最先进的体外分析和体内成像来测试它们对培养细胞和活体小鼠心脏内钙处理变化的敏感性。

Calcium is integral to cardiomyocyte contraction. Alterations to calcium uptake and handling are present in many cardiomyopathies. Hence, a method that can quantify calcium within live cells, animals and patients would give valuable information on cardiac physiology and pathology. Manganese is a Calcium analogue which enters contractile cardiomyocytes through Calcium channels. Mn2+ levels can be quantified using magnetic resonance imaging- (MRI) and positron emission tomography-(PET) allowing interrogating cardiac function in living systems. This project will develop new Mn2+-based imaging approaches and test their sensitivity to changes in Ca2+ handling within cultured cells and live mouse hearts using state-of-the-art in-vitro analysis and in-vivo imaging.