Figure 1
From: Novel multimodal molecular imaging of Vitamin H (Biotin) transporter activity in the murine placenta
DCE-MRI analysis of placental signal kinetics in contrast-only and in biotin competition experiments. DCE-MRI experiments were performed on B6 (C57BL/6J) pregnant females on day E14.5 of gestation. Mice were divided into two groups. Group A was injected with contrast agent [b-BSA-GdDTPA, n = 6]; group B [n = 4] was injected with native biotin 3 min prior to contrast injection, in a “biotin competition” experiment. (a) T1-weighted 3D-GRE images of a representative mouse illustrating contrast-agent perfusion into the maternal arteries and uptake in the placentas. Colored regions mark the five placentae that are visible in the imaged slice. (b) Representative graph of the mean signal intensity (SI) vs. time in a placenta when injecting contrast agent only (green circles), biotin competition (orange squares), and in the vena cava (black triangles). Note the dip in the green signal curve, reflecting aggregation of contrast agent and drop in T2* values (see "The effects of contrast agent aggregation" section). (c,d) Representative images at a chosen placenta showing signal change vs. time in contrast only injection (c), and biotin competition (d). *Initiation of Signal attenuation scan. **Initiation of signal recovery scan.
