Takeshi Johkoh MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Shinichi Fujimoto MS, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Keisuke Tanaka BS, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Shuji Yamamoto PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Ryuichi Morishita MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Hironobu Nakamura MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Angiogenesis using angiogenic growth factors such as hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is expected to be a new treatment for patients with critical limb ischemia due to arteriosclerosis obliterans or Burger’s disease. The purpose of this study is to verify the feasibility of fractal analysis on angiogram for the evaluation of therapeutic angiogenesis with gene transfer

We examined 10 rabbit hindlimb ischemia models by excision of the femoral artery. Two weeks after the excision of the femoral artery, angiography (PRE-angiogram) was performed in each rabbit with a commercially available apparatus (SERIES9600, GE OEC Medical System, Inc., Utah). Immediately thereafter, HGF plasmid DNA and pVAX (control) was intramuscularly injected in the ischemic hindlimbs (each group contained 5 animals). More than four weeks later, angiography was performed again (POST-angiogram). After that, in order to count the number of vessels in the ischemic hindlimbs transfected with HGF vector or control vector, rats were killed and histologic sections were obtained. Fractal dimensional data on both PRE-angiogram and POST-angiogram of the rats injected either HGF vector or control vector were obtained with counting the overlapping pixels by the two-dimensional box-counting method.

There was a statistically significant correlation between fractal dimension data on angiogram and capillary density on histologic sections (Fisher’s z-transformation, correration coefficient = 0.754, p < 0.05).

Fractal geometry is feasible for the evaluation of therapeutic angiogenesis with gene transfer. Thereafter, we are planning to employ more rabbit hindlimb ischemia models and to examine the difference of the fractal dimension between the case with the introduction of HGF vector and control ones.

Angiogenesis using angiogenic growth factors such as hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is expected to be a new treatment for patients with critical limb ischemia due to arteriosclerosis obliterans or Burger’s disease. The purpose of this study is to verify the feasibility of fractal analysis on angiogram for the evaluation of therapeutic angiogenesis with gene transfer

We examined 10 rabbit hindlimb ischemia models by excision of the femoral artery. Two weeks after the excision of the femoral artery, angiography (PRE-angiogram) was performed in each rabbit with a commercially available apparatus (SERIES9600, GE OEC Medical System, Inc., Utah). Immediately thereafter, HGF plasmid DNA and pVAX (control) was intramuscularly injected in the ischemic hindlimbs (each group contained 5 animals). More than four weeks later, angiography was performed again (POST-angiogram). After that, in order to count the number of vessels in the ischemic hindlimbs transfected with HGF vector or control vector, rats were killed and histologic sections were obtained. Fractal dimensional data on both PRE-angiogram and POST-angiogram of the rats injected either HGF vector or control vector were obtained with counting the overlapping pixels by the two-dimensional box-counting method.

There was a statistically significant correlation between fractal dimension data on angiogram and capillary density on histologic sections (Fisher’s z-transformation, correration coefficient = 0.754, p < 0.05).

Fractal geometry is feasible for the evaluation of therapeutic angiogenesis with gene transfer. Thereafter, we are planning to employ more rabbit hindlimb ischemia models and to examine the difference of the fractal dimension between the case with the introduction of HGF vector and control ones.

Johkoh, T, Fujimoto, S, Tanaka, K, Yamamoto, S, Morishita, R, Nakamura, H, Therapeutic Angiogenesis with Gene Transfer: Determination of Effectiveness with Fractal Analysis for Angiography.  Radiological Society of North America 2005 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 27 - December 2, 2005 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2005/4413905.html