Small Animal Imaging

Using non-invasive Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques, the laboratory has recently shown that myocardial calcium homeostasis modulation can be detected non-invasively. This calcium homeostasis modulation is correlated with myocardial ischemic-reperfusion. Since myocardial ischemia appears to have significant negative effects both on acute and chronic cardiac remodeling and end-organs, the laboratory is interested in non-invasively evaluate pathophysiological changes in cardiovascular tissues, in order that effective prevention and treatment strategies can be implemented early on to minimize or reverse myocardial damage. The experimental approaches have two folds: (1) quantitate myocardial injury and cellular infiltration due to inflammatory processes; and (2) correlate local calcium homeostasis directly with adverse local contractile function.