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In vivo non-invasive serial monitoring of FDG-PET progression and regression in a rabbit model of atherosclerosis

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Abstract

We investigated the ability of fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) imaging to serially monitor macrophage content in a rabbit model of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis was induced in rabbits (n = 8) by a combination of atherogenic diet and balloon denudation of the aorta. At the end of nine months, the rabbits were randomized to a further six months of the same atherogenic diet (progression group) or normal diet (regression group). In vivo uptake of FDG by the thoracic aorta was measured using aortic uptake-to-blood radioactivity ratios at the start and end of the randomized period. A significant increase in FDG uptake of the progression group after continued cholesterol feeding (aortic uptake-to-blood radioactivity: 0.57 ± 0.02 to 0.68 ± 0.02, P = 0.001), and a corresponding fall in FDG uptake of the regression group after returning to a normal chow diet (aortic uptake-to-blood radioactivity ratios: 0.67 ± 0.02 to 0.53 ± 0.02, P < 0.0001). FDG PET can quantify in vivo macrophage content and serially monitor changes in FDG activity in this rabbit model.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the National Heart Foundation of Australia (SA Branch) (S.G.W.), the French Federation of Cardiology (G.H.) and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (G.Y.H.L., No: 497809).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute, The Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY, 10029, USA

    Stephen G. Worthley, Gérard Helft, Azfar G. Zaman, Zahi A. Fayad, Valentin Fuster & Juan J. Badimon

  2. Cardiovascular Investigation Unit, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories, The Cardiovascular Research Centre, Royal Adelaide Hospital, North Terrace, Adelaide, 5000, South Australia, Australia

    Stephen G. Worthley, Gary Y. H. Liew & Matthew I. Worthley

  3. Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY, 10029, USA

    Zhuang Y. Zhang & Josef Machac

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience PET Laboratory, The Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY, 10029, USA

    Cheuk Tang & Monte S. Buchsbaum

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  1. Stephen G. Worthley
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  2. Zhuang Y. Zhang
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  3. Josef Machac
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  4. Gérard Helft
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  7. Azfar G. Zaman
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  8. Matthew I. Worthley
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  11. Valentin Fuster
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Correspondence to Stephen G. Worthley.

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Worthley, S.G., Zhang, Z.Y., Machac, J. et al. In vivo non-invasive serial monitoring of FDG-PET progression and regression in a rabbit model of atherosclerosis. Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 25, 251–257 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10554-008-9377-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10554-008-9377-2

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