Radiolabeled Arginine-Glycine-Aspartic Acid Peptides to Image Angiogenesis in Swine Model of Hibernating Myocardium

Radiolabeled Arginine-Glycine-Aspartic Acid Peptides to Image Angiogenesis in Swine Model of Hibernating Myocardium Lynne L. Johnson, Lorraine Schofield, Tammy Donahay, Mark Bouchard, Athena Poppas, Roland Haubner In a swine model of hibernating myocardium, the authors tested the hypothesis that therapeutic angiogenesis can be imaged in vivo using single-photon computed tomography imaging with radiolabeled peptide, [123 I]Gluco-arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD), directed against integrin moieties. Nonfluoroscopic endocardial map guided intramyocardial injection of phVEGF165 was performed in animals and compared to saline controls. Efficacy of phVEGF165 to improve function and blood flow in the ameroid constrictor induced hibernating territory was documented. Capillary spouting assessed by quantitative lectin staining correlated with RGD uptake in the hibernating territory. The accompanying editorial comment by Dr. Sinusas suggests that radiolabeled RGD peptides may be useful to monitor therapy that induces angiogenesis in the heart.