Noninvasive imaging of the distribution in oxygen in tissue in vivo using near-infrared phosphors.

A newly developed water-soluble phosphor suitable for measuring oxygen pressure in the blood (Green 2W) was used for noninvasive, in vivo imaging of oxygen distribution in the vascular systems of mice. Oxygen quenches the phosphorescence of Green 2W, measured in the presence of 2% albumin, according to the Stern-volmer relationship. This oxygen-dependent quenching of phosphorescence has been used to obtain digital maps of the oxygen distribution in the tissue vasculature. EMT-6 mammary carcinoma tumors were grown by injecting 1 x 10(6) cells in 0.1-ml carrier into the subcutaneous space over the muscle on the hindquarter. When the tumors were approximately 8 mm in diameter, 300 micrograms of phosphorescence probe (Green 2W; absorption maximum 636 nm) was injected into the tail vein. The mice were immobilized with intraperotoneal Ketamine (133 mg/kg) and Xylazine (10 mg/kg) and illuminated with flashes (< 4-microseconds t1/2) of light of 630 +/- 12 nm. The emitted phosphorescence (790-nm maximum) was imaged an intensified CCD camera. Images were collected beginning at 30, 50, 80, 120, 180, 240, 420, and 2500 microseconds after the flash and used to calculate digital maps of the phosphorescence lifetimes and oxygen pressure. Both the illumination light and the phosphorescence were in the near-infrared region of the spectrum, where tissue has greatly decreased absorbance. The light therefore readily passed through the skin and centimeter thicknesses of tissue. The oxygen maps could be obtained by illuminating from the side of the mouse opposite the camera (and tumor). The tumors were readily observed as regions with oxygen pressures substantially below those of the surrounding tissue. Thus, phosphorescence measurements can noninvasively detect volumes of tissue with below-normal oxygen pressure in the presence of much larger volumes of tissue with normal oxygen pressures. In addition, tissue oxygen pressures can be monitored in real time, even through centimeter thicknesses of tissue.