Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer EMMPRIN, is highly expressed in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI), and induces activation of several matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), including MMP-9 and MMP-13. To prevent Extracellular matrix degradation and cardiac cell death we targeted EMMPRIN with paramagnetic/fluorescent micellar nanoparticles with an EMMPRIN binding peptide AP9 conjugated (NAP9), or an AP9 scramble peptide as a negative control (NAPSC). NAP9 binds to endogenous EMMPRIN as detected by confocal microscopy of cardiac myocytes and macrophages incubated with NAP and NAPSC in vitro, and in vivo in mouse hearts subjected to left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion (IV injection 50mγ/Kg NAP9 or NAP9SC). Administration of NAP9 at the same time or 1 hour after AMI reduced infarct size over a 20% respect to untreated and NAPSC injected mice, recovered left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) similar to healthy controls, and reduced EMMPRIN downstream MMP9 expression. In magnetic resonance scans of mouse hearts 2 days after AMI and injected with NAP9, we detected a significant gadolinium enhancement in the left ventricle respect to non-injected mice and to mice injected with NAPSC. Late gadolinium enhancement assays exhibited NAP9-mediated left ventricle signal enhancement as early as 30 minutes after nanoprobe injection, in which a close correlation between the MRI signal enhancement and left ventricle infarct size was detected. Taken together, these results point EMMPRIN targeted nanoprobes as a new tool for the treatment of AMI.
Sector-Based Assessment of Infarct Size on Late-Gadolinium-Enhancement MRI in a Mouse Model of Acute Myocardial Infarction