title: PET tomographic imaging of the human heart, pancreas, and liver with nitrogen-13 derived from [13N]-L-glutamate.
abstract: The first commercial version of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) positron camera was used to image the relative distributions of 13N (T1/2 = 9.96 min) in the human heart, pancreas, and liver after intravenous administration of [13N]-L-glutamate. The instrument was operated in two imaging modes. Conventional 2-dimensional (2-D) focal-plane images showed high concentrations of 13N in the heart and pancreas, and lower levels in the liver. Five PET tomographic transverse section (3-D) images were made through the heart and three through the pancreas. Our results suggest that further studies designed to gain an improved understanding of the biochemistry of [13N]-L-glutamate aided by PET imaging, especially with newer instrumentation, are worthy of further investigation.
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D005971:Glutamates; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D006207:Half-Life; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D009590:Nitrogen Radioisotopes; D010179:Pancreas / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011817:Rabbits; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D005971:Glutamates; D009590:Nitrogen Radioisotopes; D018698:Glutamic Acid