Jesus Ruiz-Cabello | Universidad Complutense de Madrid (original) (raw)
Papers by Jesus Ruiz-Cabello
Information Processing with …, Jan 1, 2005
Frontiers in pharmacology, 2015
Cardiovascular imaging has become an indispensable tool for patient diagnosis and follow up. Prob... more Cardiovascular imaging has become an indispensable tool for patient diagnosis and follow up. Probably the wide clinical applications of imaging are due to the possibility of a detailed and high quality description and quantification of cardiovascular system structure and function. Also phenomena that involve complex physiological mechanisms and biochemical pathways, such as inflammation and ischemia, can be visualized in a non-destructive way. The widespread use and evolution of imaging would not have been possible without animal studies. Animal models have allowed for instance, (i) the technical development of different imaging tools, (ii) to test hypothesis generated from human studies and finally, (iii) to evaluate the translational relevance assessment of in vitro and ex-vivo results. In this review, we will critically describe the contribution of animal models to the use of biomedical imaging in cardiovascular medicine. We will discuss the characteristics of the most frequent m...
Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
Metabolism of [1-13C]-glucose was studied in situ in cat brain using gradient-enhanced proton-det... more Metabolism of [1-13C]-glucose was studied in situ in cat brain using gradient-enhanced proton-detected heteronuclear spectroscopy. Proton detection of [1-13C]-glucose, [3-13C]-lactate, 4-[13C]-glutamine, 4-[13C]-glutamate and the combined signals 2-[13C]-glutamate/glutamine and 3-[13C]-glutamate/glutamine was achieved, despite the fact that some of the associated proton resonances are close to the water signal. Two-dimensional [1H-13C]-spectra demonstrate the possibility of in situ spectral assignment with 1H sensitivity and 13C resolution. Spectroscopic images of glucose and its metabolic products were also acquired, showing the possibility to study spatial dependence of metabolism.
Vector Quantization (VQ) is a well known technique for signal compression and codification. In th... more Vector Quantization (VQ) is a well known technique for signal compression and codification. In this paper we propose the filtering of images based on the codebooks obtained from Vector Quantization design algorithms under a Bayesian framework. The Bayesian VQ filter consists in the substitution of the image pixel by the central pixel of the codevector that encodes the pixel and
Research communications in molecular pathology and pharmacology
Experiments reported in this paper provide evidence that 31P-NMR spectroscopy can detect mitochon... more Experiments reported in this paper provide evidence that 31P-NMR spectroscopy can detect mitochondrial toxicity produced by cyclosporin A (CsA) in cultured rat renal cells cast in agarose threads. The effects observed in the normal rat kidney epithelial cell line NRK-52E include dose-dependent increases in the beta-ATP signal at CsA concentrations from 2.5-25 micrograms/ml. At a CsA concentration of 100 micrograms/ml, there is a severe decrease in the beta-ATP signal with a concomitant increase in the inorganic phosphate (P(i)) signal. Effects observed in NRK-52E cells perfused with 100 micrograms/ml CsA mimic those previously observed by 31P-NMR spectroscopy using a surface coil over exposed kidneys of rats given chronic oral doses of 5 and 25 mg/kg/day CsA for periods of up to 90 days. These observations support the hypothesis that mitochondrial toxicity contributes to induction of CsA nephrotoxicity.
Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), 2015
Positron emission tomography (PET) is an important technique in cardiovascular research. Vascular... more Positron emission tomography (PET) is an important technique in cardiovascular research. Vascular inflammation detected by fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET has been shown to predict cardiovascular (CV) events independent of traditional risk factors and is also highly associated with overall burden of atherosclerosis. The use of PET imaging in mouse models of atherosclerosis is challenged by the reduced size of the scanned organs. However, the last generation of dedicated PET scanners has an improved spatial resolution (<1 mm) and increased sensitivity allowing those studies to be performed. Here, we describe a procedure to perform FDG-PET experiments in atherosclerosis mouse models, the required equipment for animal handling and imaging, and the tools and procedures for image analysis and validation of the results.
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 1999
Vector Quantization (VQ) is a well known technique for signal compression and codification. In th... more Vector Quantization (VQ) is a well known technique for signal compression and codification. In this paper we propose the filtering of images based on the codebooks obtained from Vector Quantization design algorithms under a Bayesian framework. The Bayesian VQ filter consists in the substitution of the image pixel by the central pixel of the codevector that encodes the pixel and
Journal of Magnetic Resonance
Methods in Molecular Biology, 2015
Plaque development has been extensively studied using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in animal ... more Plaque development has been extensively studied using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in animal models of rapidly progressing atherosclerosis, such as apolipoprotein E-knockout (apoE-KO) mice. Preclinical MRI plays a significant role in the study of experimental atherosclerosis. Currently, MRI is capable of detecting luminal narrowing, plaque size, and morphology with high accuracy and reproducibility, providing reliable measurements of plaque burden. Therefore, MRI offers a noninvasive approach to serially monitor the progression of the disease. Compared with other imaging modalities, MRI appears to have the greatest potential for plaque characterization, through the use of multiple contrast weightings (e.g., T1, T2, and proton density). Here, we illustrate a standard procedure to image the aorta of atherosclerotic mice using noninvasive MRI.
Acta Horticulturae, 2008
Page 1. Modeling for metabonomic fingerprint assignment in olive fruits N. Hernández-Sánchez and ... more Page 1. Modeling for metabonomic fingerprint assignment in olive fruits N. Hernández-Sánchez and P. Barreiro Physical Properties Laboratory-Advanced Technologies in Agri-food (LPF-TAG), Madrid, Spain L. León Instituto ...
Cancer Research
We have used diffusion-weighted proton magnetic resonance spectros- copy (DWMRS) to noninvasively... more We have used diffusion-weighted proton magnetic resonance spectros- copy (DWMRS) to noninvasively selectively observe only the intracellular metabolites of breast cancer and melanoma cell lines in vitro in real time. Breast cancer cell lines representing different stages in breast cancer progression were chosen for study. Intracellular biochemical profiles of six cell lines perfused in alginate beads were obtained. Spectral differences between groups of cell lines, including choline, lactate, and threonine peaks, were investigated. We also monitored response to the antineoplastic agent, lonidamine (LND), as a function of time and drug concentration in perfused cancer cells. Previous studies reported that this drug induced intracellular acidification and lactate accumulation. Diffusion weighted proton spectra demonstrated a 2- to 9-fold increase in the intracellular lactate signal as a response to LND treatment in several cancer cell lines. These results are consistent with the hypot...
Cancer Research
We have used diffusion-weighted proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (DWMRS) to noninvasively s... more We have used diffusion-weighted proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (DWMRS) to noninvasively selectively observe only the intracellular metabolites of breast cancer and melanoma cell lines in vitro in real time. Breast cancer cell lines representing different stages in breast cancer progression were chosen for study. Intracellular biochemical profiles of six cell lines perfused in alginate beads were obtained. Spectral differences between groups of cell lines, including choline, lactate, and threonine peaks, were investigated. We also monitored response to the antineoplastic agent, lonidamine (LND), as a function of time and drug concentration in perfused cancer cells. Previous studies reported that this drug induced intracellular acidification and lactate accumulation. Diffusion weighted proton spectra demonstrated a 2- to 9-fold increase in the intracellular lactate signal as a response to LND treatment in several cancer cell lines. These results are consistent with the hypothe...
Molecular neurobiology, Jan 11, 2015
Depression is a major public health concern in modern society, yet little is known about the mole... more Depression is a major public health concern in modern society, yet little is known about the molecular link between this condition and neuroinflammation. The inflammasome complex was recently shown to be implicated in depression. The present study shows the implication of NLRP3 inflammasome in animal model of stress-induced depression. Accordingly, we show here that in the absence of a NLRP3 inflammasome, prolonged stress does not provoke depressive behaviors or microglial activation in mice or dampen hippocampal neurogenesis. Indeed, NLRP3 deletion or inhibition of microglial activation impairs the stress-induced alterations associated with depression. According to these findings in animal model, the inflammasome could be a target for new therapeutic interventions to prevent depression in patients.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has been used in order to detect watercore disorder in three dif... more Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has been used in order to detect watercore disorder in three different varieties of apples, which are non commercialized due to their watercore development problems. These three varieties are: Ascara2, Rebellón and Tempera which were grown under favourable conditions for the development of such disorder. At a first step, MRI has been used for screening the apples population in order to detect those ones which had watercore problems. Then, an image analysis has been done in all these apples, in order to check the evidences of such disorder. Several methods have been used: Principal Componentes Analysis (PCA), segmentation and texture analysis. The aim of this work is to address fundamental image changes during the development of internal damages as a preliminary approach for watercore detection by means of image analysis.
Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology
Italian journal of anatomy and embryology = Archivio italiano di anatomia ed embriologia
This study evaluates the use of the Microscopic Magnetic Resonance (MMR) in the human prenatal de... more This study evaluates the use of the Microscopic Magnetic Resonance (MMR) in the human prenatal development. Human embryos (8mm, 15mm, 18mm and 22mm in length) fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde were used. Results were compared with light microscopy (LM) images. The internal configuration of the embryos can be clearly observed as well as many organs such as liver, lungs, heart, including their spatial relationships. In general MMR sections are less clear and show minor details than those by LM. Neverthless, many advantages are provided by using this technique. For example it is possible: a) to make three-dimensional (3-D) surface and internal full or partial reconstructions; b) to evaluate the presence of developmental anomalies; c) to evaluate the tissular preservation degree of the specimens; and d) to apply morphometric techniques to unfixed specimens. In our opinion the advantages derived by using MMR are many and overcome the disadvantages. This study demonstrates that MMR can be inco...
Antioxidants & redox signaling, 2015
Impairment in AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity and NLRP3-inflammasome activation are ... more Impairment in AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity and NLRP3-inflammasome activation are associated with several metabolic and inflammatory diseases. Herein, we investigated the role of AMPK/NLRP3-inflammasome axis in the molecular mechanism underlying pain perception. Impairment in AMPK activation induced by Compound C or sunitinib, two AMPK inhibitors, provoked hyperalgesia in mice (P<0.001) associated with marked NLRP3-inflammasome protein activation and increased serum levels of IL-1β (24.56±0.82 pg/mL) and IL-18 (23.83±1.882 pg/mL) compared to vehicle groups (IL-1β: 8.15±0.44; IL-18: 4.92±0.4). This effect was rescued by increasing AMPK phosphorylation via Metformin treatment (P<0.001), caloric restriction diet (P<0.001), or NLRP3-inflammasome genetic inactivation using NLRP3 knockout (nlrp3-/-) mice (P<0.001). Deficient AMPK activation and over-activation of NLRP3-inflammasome axis was also observed in blood cells from patients with Fibromyalgia (FM), a pre...
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
In certain nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) applications in which accessibility to the gantry is ... more In certain nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) applications in which accessibility to the gantry is limited, performing optimal tuning and matching represents a major problem. Here, we discuss a method of tuning NMR probe circuits and matching their impedances which uses cables with different impedance values. This simple but efficient method may be advantageous compared with much more difficult perfect tuning and matching.
Chemistry - A European Journal, 2015
The use of click chemistry reactions for the functionalization of nanoparticles is particularly u... more The use of click chemistry reactions for the functionalization of nanoparticles is particularly useful to modify the surface in a well-defined manner and to enhance the targeting properties, thus facilitating clinical translation. Here it is demonstrated that olefin metathesis can be used for the chemoselective functionalization of iron oxide nanoparticles with three different examples. This approach enables, in one step, the synthesis and functionalization of different water-stable magnetite-based particles from oleic acid-coated counterparts. The surface of the nanoparticles was completely characterized showing how the metathesis approach introduces a large number of hydrophilic molecules on their coating layer. As an example of the possible applications of these new nanocomposites, a focus was taken on atherosclerosis plaques. It is also demonstrated how the in vitro properties of one of the probes, particularly its Ca(2+) -binding properties, mediate their final in vivo use; that is, the selective accumulation in atherosclerotic plaques. This opens promising new applications to detect possible microcalcifications associated with plaque vulnerability. The accumulation of the new imaging tracers is demonstrated by in vivo magnetic resonance imaging of carotids and aorta in the ApoE(-/-) mouse model and the results were confirmed by histology.
Information Processing with …, Jan 1, 2005
Frontiers in pharmacology, 2015
Cardiovascular imaging has become an indispensable tool for patient diagnosis and follow up. Prob... more Cardiovascular imaging has become an indispensable tool for patient diagnosis and follow up. Probably the wide clinical applications of imaging are due to the possibility of a detailed and high quality description and quantification of cardiovascular system structure and function. Also phenomena that involve complex physiological mechanisms and biochemical pathways, such as inflammation and ischemia, can be visualized in a non-destructive way. The widespread use and evolution of imaging would not have been possible without animal studies. Animal models have allowed for instance, (i) the technical development of different imaging tools, (ii) to test hypothesis generated from human studies and finally, (iii) to evaluate the translational relevance assessment of in vitro and ex-vivo results. In this review, we will critically describe the contribution of animal models to the use of biomedical imaging in cardiovascular medicine. We will discuss the characteristics of the most frequent m...
Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
Metabolism of [1-13C]-glucose was studied in situ in cat brain using gradient-enhanced proton-det... more Metabolism of [1-13C]-glucose was studied in situ in cat brain using gradient-enhanced proton-detected heteronuclear spectroscopy. Proton detection of [1-13C]-glucose, [3-13C]-lactate, 4-[13C]-glutamine, 4-[13C]-glutamate and the combined signals 2-[13C]-glutamate/glutamine and 3-[13C]-glutamate/glutamine was achieved, despite the fact that some of the associated proton resonances are close to the water signal. Two-dimensional [1H-13C]-spectra demonstrate the possibility of in situ spectral assignment with 1H sensitivity and 13C resolution. Spectroscopic images of glucose and its metabolic products were also acquired, showing the possibility to study spatial dependence of metabolism.
Vector Quantization (VQ) is a well known technique for signal compression and codification. In th... more Vector Quantization (VQ) is a well known technique for signal compression and codification. In this paper we propose the filtering of images based on the codebooks obtained from Vector Quantization design algorithms under a Bayesian framework. The Bayesian VQ filter consists in the substitution of the image pixel by the central pixel of the codevector that encodes the pixel and
Research communications in molecular pathology and pharmacology
Experiments reported in this paper provide evidence that 31P-NMR spectroscopy can detect mitochon... more Experiments reported in this paper provide evidence that 31P-NMR spectroscopy can detect mitochondrial toxicity produced by cyclosporin A (CsA) in cultured rat renal cells cast in agarose threads. The effects observed in the normal rat kidney epithelial cell line NRK-52E include dose-dependent increases in the beta-ATP signal at CsA concentrations from 2.5-25 micrograms/ml. At a CsA concentration of 100 micrograms/ml, there is a severe decrease in the beta-ATP signal with a concomitant increase in the inorganic phosphate (P(i)) signal. Effects observed in NRK-52E cells perfused with 100 micrograms/ml CsA mimic those previously observed by 31P-NMR spectroscopy using a surface coil over exposed kidneys of rats given chronic oral doses of 5 and 25 mg/kg/day CsA for periods of up to 90 days. These observations support the hypothesis that mitochondrial toxicity contributes to induction of CsA nephrotoxicity.
Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), 2015
Positron emission tomography (PET) is an important technique in cardiovascular research. Vascular... more Positron emission tomography (PET) is an important technique in cardiovascular research. Vascular inflammation detected by fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET has been shown to predict cardiovascular (CV) events independent of traditional risk factors and is also highly associated with overall burden of atherosclerosis. The use of PET imaging in mouse models of atherosclerosis is challenged by the reduced size of the scanned organs. However, the last generation of dedicated PET scanners has an improved spatial resolution (<1 mm) and increased sensitivity allowing those studies to be performed. Here, we describe a procedure to perform FDG-PET experiments in atherosclerosis mouse models, the required equipment for animal handling and imaging, and the tools and procedures for image analysis and validation of the results.
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 1999
Vector Quantization (VQ) is a well known technique for signal compression and codification. In th... more Vector Quantization (VQ) is a well known technique for signal compression and codification. In this paper we propose the filtering of images based on the codebooks obtained from Vector Quantization design algorithms under a Bayesian framework. The Bayesian VQ filter consists in the substitution of the image pixel by the central pixel of the codevector that encodes the pixel and
Journal of Magnetic Resonance
Methods in Molecular Biology, 2015
Plaque development has been extensively studied using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in animal ... more Plaque development has been extensively studied using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in animal models of rapidly progressing atherosclerosis, such as apolipoprotein E-knockout (apoE-KO) mice. Preclinical MRI plays a significant role in the study of experimental atherosclerosis. Currently, MRI is capable of detecting luminal narrowing, plaque size, and morphology with high accuracy and reproducibility, providing reliable measurements of plaque burden. Therefore, MRI offers a noninvasive approach to serially monitor the progression of the disease. Compared with other imaging modalities, MRI appears to have the greatest potential for plaque characterization, through the use of multiple contrast weightings (e.g., T1, T2, and proton density). Here, we illustrate a standard procedure to image the aorta of atherosclerotic mice using noninvasive MRI.
Acta Horticulturae, 2008
Page 1. Modeling for metabonomic fingerprint assignment in olive fruits N. Hernández-Sánchez and ... more Page 1. Modeling for metabonomic fingerprint assignment in olive fruits N. Hernández-Sánchez and P. Barreiro Physical Properties Laboratory-Advanced Technologies in Agri-food (LPF-TAG), Madrid, Spain L. León Instituto ...
Cancer Research
We have used diffusion-weighted proton magnetic resonance spectros- copy (DWMRS) to noninvasively... more We have used diffusion-weighted proton magnetic resonance spectros- copy (DWMRS) to noninvasively selectively observe only the intracellular metabolites of breast cancer and melanoma cell lines in vitro in real time. Breast cancer cell lines representing different stages in breast cancer progression were chosen for study. Intracellular biochemical profiles of six cell lines perfused in alginate beads were obtained. Spectral differences between groups of cell lines, including choline, lactate, and threonine peaks, were investigated. We also monitored response to the antineoplastic agent, lonidamine (LND), as a function of time and drug concentration in perfused cancer cells. Previous studies reported that this drug induced intracellular acidification and lactate accumulation. Diffusion weighted proton spectra demonstrated a 2- to 9-fold increase in the intracellular lactate signal as a response to LND treatment in several cancer cell lines. These results are consistent with the hypot...
Cancer Research
We have used diffusion-weighted proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (DWMRS) to noninvasively s... more We have used diffusion-weighted proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (DWMRS) to noninvasively selectively observe only the intracellular metabolites of breast cancer and melanoma cell lines in vitro in real time. Breast cancer cell lines representing different stages in breast cancer progression were chosen for study. Intracellular biochemical profiles of six cell lines perfused in alginate beads were obtained. Spectral differences between groups of cell lines, including choline, lactate, and threonine peaks, were investigated. We also monitored response to the antineoplastic agent, lonidamine (LND), as a function of time and drug concentration in perfused cancer cells. Previous studies reported that this drug induced intracellular acidification and lactate accumulation. Diffusion weighted proton spectra demonstrated a 2- to 9-fold increase in the intracellular lactate signal as a response to LND treatment in several cancer cell lines. These results are consistent with the hypothe...
Molecular neurobiology, Jan 11, 2015
Depression is a major public health concern in modern society, yet little is known about the mole... more Depression is a major public health concern in modern society, yet little is known about the molecular link between this condition and neuroinflammation. The inflammasome complex was recently shown to be implicated in depression. The present study shows the implication of NLRP3 inflammasome in animal model of stress-induced depression. Accordingly, we show here that in the absence of a NLRP3 inflammasome, prolonged stress does not provoke depressive behaviors or microglial activation in mice or dampen hippocampal neurogenesis. Indeed, NLRP3 deletion or inhibition of microglial activation impairs the stress-induced alterations associated with depression. According to these findings in animal model, the inflammasome could be a target for new therapeutic interventions to prevent depression in patients.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has been used in order to detect watercore disorder in three dif... more Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has been used in order to detect watercore disorder in three different varieties of apples, which are non commercialized due to their watercore development problems. These three varieties are: Ascara2, Rebellón and Tempera which were grown under favourable conditions for the development of such disorder. At a first step, MRI has been used for screening the apples population in order to detect those ones which had watercore problems. Then, an image analysis has been done in all these apples, in order to check the evidences of such disorder. Several methods have been used: Principal Componentes Analysis (PCA), segmentation and texture analysis. The aim of this work is to address fundamental image changes during the development of internal damages as a preliminary approach for watercore detection by means of image analysis.
Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology
Italian journal of anatomy and embryology = Archivio italiano di anatomia ed embriologia
This study evaluates the use of the Microscopic Magnetic Resonance (MMR) in the human prenatal de... more This study evaluates the use of the Microscopic Magnetic Resonance (MMR) in the human prenatal development. Human embryos (8mm, 15mm, 18mm and 22mm in length) fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde were used. Results were compared with light microscopy (LM) images. The internal configuration of the embryos can be clearly observed as well as many organs such as liver, lungs, heart, including their spatial relationships. In general MMR sections are less clear and show minor details than those by LM. Neverthless, many advantages are provided by using this technique. For example it is possible: a) to make three-dimensional (3-D) surface and internal full or partial reconstructions; b) to evaluate the presence of developmental anomalies; c) to evaluate the tissular preservation degree of the specimens; and d) to apply morphometric techniques to unfixed specimens. In our opinion the advantages derived by using MMR are many and overcome the disadvantages. This study demonstrates that MMR can be inco...
Antioxidants & redox signaling, 2015
Impairment in AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity and NLRP3-inflammasome activation are ... more Impairment in AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity and NLRP3-inflammasome activation are associated with several metabolic and inflammatory diseases. Herein, we investigated the role of AMPK/NLRP3-inflammasome axis in the molecular mechanism underlying pain perception. Impairment in AMPK activation induced by Compound C or sunitinib, two AMPK inhibitors, provoked hyperalgesia in mice (P<0.001) associated with marked NLRP3-inflammasome protein activation and increased serum levels of IL-1β (24.56±0.82 pg/mL) and IL-18 (23.83±1.882 pg/mL) compared to vehicle groups (IL-1β: 8.15±0.44; IL-18: 4.92±0.4). This effect was rescued by increasing AMPK phosphorylation via Metformin treatment (P<0.001), caloric restriction diet (P<0.001), or NLRP3-inflammasome genetic inactivation using NLRP3 knockout (nlrp3-/-) mice (P<0.001). Deficient AMPK activation and over-activation of NLRP3-inflammasome axis was also observed in blood cells from patients with Fibromyalgia (FM), a pre...
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
In certain nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) applications in which accessibility to the gantry is ... more In certain nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) applications in which accessibility to the gantry is limited, performing optimal tuning and matching represents a major problem. Here, we discuss a method of tuning NMR probe circuits and matching their impedances which uses cables with different impedance values. This simple but efficient method may be advantageous compared with much more difficult perfect tuning and matching.
Chemistry - A European Journal, 2015
The use of click chemistry reactions for the functionalization of nanoparticles is particularly u... more The use of click chemistry reactions for the functionalization of nanoparticles is particularly useful to modify the surface in a well-defined manner and to enhance the targeting properties, thus facilitating clinical translation. Here it is demonstrated that olefin metathesis can be used for the chemoselective functionalization of iron oxide nanoparticles with three different examples. This approach enables, in one step, the synthesis and functionalization of different water-stable magnetite-based particles from oleic acid-coated counterparts. The surface of the nanoparticles was completely characterized showing how the metathesis approach introduces a large number of hydrophilic molecules on their coating layer. As an example of the possible applications of these new nanocomposites, a focus was taken on atherosclerosis plaques. It is also demonstrated how the in vitro properties of one of the probes, particularly its Ca(2+) -binding properties, mediate their final in vivo use; that is, the selective accumulation in atherosclerotic plaques. This opens promising new applications to detect possible microcalcifications associated with plaque vulnerability. The accumulation of the new imaging tracers is demonstrated by in vivo magnetic resonance imaging of carotids and aorta in the ApoE(-/-) mouse model and the results were confirmed by histology.