A contrast agent recognizing activated platelets reveals murine cerebral malaria pathology undetectable by conventional MRI
J. Clin. Invest. Constantin von zur Muhlen, et al. 118:1198 doi:10.1172/JCI33314 [Go to this article.]

Figure 4
In vivo T₂-weighted coronal images (4 images per brain, beginning at Bregma and moving backward in 700-μm increments) from 3D gradient-echo data sets each with approximately 90-μm isotropic resolution. (A) Animal injected intrastriatally with 1 μg TNF in 0.5 μl saline 11.5 h prior to intravenous injection of LIBS-MPIO (~4.5 mg/kg Fe). Intense low-signal areas (black) reflect the specific retention of MPIO on activated platelets adhering to the cerebrovascular endothelium. (B and C) In contrast, no effects of the LIBS-MPIO agent were detected in animals injected 11.5 h previously with 1 μg IL-1β in 0.5 μl saline (B) or with 0.5 μl saline alone (C). (D) Similarly, no nonspecific effects of the control-MPIO contrast agent were detected in animals injected intrastriatally with 1 μg TNF in 0.5 μl saline.