PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Belov, Vasily
AU  - Mushti, Chandra
AU  - Levine, Dylan
AU  - Papisov, Mikhail
AU  - Fischman, Alan
TI  - Monitoring cholesterol transport in vivo by PET
DP  - 2015 May 01
TA  - Journal of Nuclear Medicine
PG  - 466--466
VI  - 56
IP  - supplement 3
4099  - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/56/supplement_3/466.short
4100  - http://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/56/supplement_3/466.full
SO  - J Nucl Med2015 May 01; 56
AB  - 466 Objectives Incidences of diseases characterized by alterations in cholesterol homeostasis (e.g., atherosclerosis, obesity, diabetes) are increasing. Thus, there is a growing need for methods for comprehensive quantitative evaluation of such alterations. The data reported previously are not sufficiently detailed due to the limited capabilities of early imaging modalities. In a present study, we took advantage of the superior spatial and time resolution of PET to develop an imaging method for quantitative real-time monitoring of the transport of cholesterol in vivo.Methods 19-Iodocholesterol (IC) was synthetized following the published procedures and radiolabeled with 124I by isotope exchange with the radiochemical yield and purities of 58% and 75%, respectively. Biokinetics of [124I] was studied by PET in six SD rats (~250 g). To this end, [124I]IC was incorporated in the lipidic component of the rat plasma and administered IV. Dynamic and static images were acquired for 4 days using microPET Focus 220 imager (Siemens) interfaced with CereTom NL 3000 CT scanner (Neurologica). Time dependences of organ uptake were quantified by ROI analysis.Results Initial de-halogenation and labile 124I content did not exceed 5% of the injected dose (%ID) as quantified by total [124I]IC accumulation in the thyroid, bladder, and stomach walls. Liver was the organ of the greatest uptake over the entire period of observation. Other, minor sites of [124I]IC uptake included: kidneys, spleen, pancreas, large and small intestines, caecum, lungs, muscle, and fat. Progressive accumulation of [124I]IC in the adrenal gland at up to 0.7%ID has been characteristic and was consistent with the reported behavior of cholesterol in vivo.Conclusions [124I]IC is a stable probe suitable for long-term imaging of cholesterol transport in vivo by PET and quantification of the kinetic manifestations of the alterations in cholesterol homeostasis.Research Support NIH