ABSTRACT
Hyperpolarized (HP) tracers dramatically increase the sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to monitor metabolism non-invasively and in vivo. Their production, however, requires an extra polarizing device (polarizer) whose complexity, operation and cost can exceed that of an MRI system itself. Furthermore, the lifetime of HP tracers is short and some of the enhancement is lost during transfer to the application site. Here, we present the production of HP tracers in water without an external polarizer: by Synthesis Amid the Magnet Bore, A Dramatically Enhanced Nuclear Alignment (SAMBADENA) is achieved within seconds, corresponding to a hyperpolarization of â¼20%. As transfer of the tracer is no longer required, SAMBADENA may permit a higher polarization at the time of detection at a fraction of the cost and complexity of external polarizers. This development is particularly promising in light of the recently extended portfolio of biomedically relevant para-hydrogen-tracers and may lead to new diagnostic applications.
Subject(s)
Carbon Isotopes/chemistry , Contrast Media/chemistry , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods , Propionates/chemistry , Animals , Contrast Media/pharmacokinetics , Humans , Hydrogen/chemistry , Hydrogenation , Magnetic Fields , Magnetic Resonance Imaging/instrumentation , Propionates/pharmacokinetics , Rats , Staining and Labeling/methods , Water/chemistryABSTRACT
An automated method for the estimation of the acute phase protein haptoglobin was developed and used to compare the blood haptoglobin concentrations of 42 sheep examined post mortem with other haematological findings in infectious and non-infectious conditions. Haptoglobin was also assayed in 863 sheep from nine apparently normal flocks; of these sheep seven per cent had significantly raised haptoglobin levels. The studies showed that haptoglobin was useful as a marker for the presence of bacterial infection in sheep, and was more sensitive, specific and efficient and less likely to give false positive and negative results than a haematological examination.
Subject(s)
Bacterial Infections/veterinary , Haptoglobins/analysis , Sheep Diseases/diagnosis , Animals , Bacterial Infections/blood , Bacterial Infections/diagnosis , Biomarkers , Female , Leukocyte Count/veterinary , Male , Predictive Value of Tests , Reproducibility of Results , Sheep , Sheep Diseases/blood , Sheep Diseases/microbiologyABSTRACT
In order to assess the usefulness of haptoglobin as a measure of the acute phase response in cattle, the concentration of serum haptoglobin was estimated in the non-infectious conditions of milk fever and ketosis, and in the infectious conditions of severe mastitis, acute severe metritis, retained placenta and chronic endometritis. Mean haptoglobin concentrations were normal in cattle with non-infectious conditions and chronic endometritis but significantly increased in cattle with infectious conditions.
