In vitro positron emission tomography (PET): use of positron emission tracers in functional imaging in living brain slices.
Positron-emitting radionuclides have short half-lives and high radiation energies compared with radioisotopes generally used in biomedical research. We examined the possibility of applying positron emitter-labeled compounds to functional imaging in brain slices kept viable in an oxygenated buffer solution. Brain slices (300 microns thick) containing the striatum were incubated with positron emitter-labeled tracers for 30-45 min. The slices were then rinsed and placed on the bottom of a Plexiglas chamber filled with oxygenated Krebs-Ringer solution. The bottom of the chamber consisted of a thin polypropylene film to allow good penetration of beta+ particles from the brain slices. The chamber was placed on a storage phosphor screen, which has a higher sensitivity and a wider dynamic range than X-ray films. After an exposure period of 15-60 min, the screen was scanned by the analyzer and radioactivity images of brain slices were obtained within 20 min. We succeeded in obtaining quantitative images of (1) [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose uptake, (2) dopamine D2 receptor binding, (3) dopa-decarboxylase activity, and (4) release of [11C]dopamine preloaded as L-[11C]DOPA in the brain slice preparation. These results demonstrate that positron emitter-labeled tracers in combination with storage phosphor screens are useful for functional imaging of living brain slices as a novel neuroscience technique.
Matsumura
K
K
Subfemtomole Biorecognition Project, Research Development Corporation of Japan, Osaka.
Bergström
M
M
Onoe
H
H
Takechi
H
H
Westerberg
G
G
Antoni
G
G
Bjurling
P
P
Jacobson
G B
GB
Långström
B
B
Watanabe
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D002021:Buffers; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D003470:Culture Media; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists / Q000378:metabolism; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D007980:Levodopa / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000502:physiology; D020891:Raclopride; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012457:Salicylamides / Q000378:metabolism; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods*
D002021:Buffers; D002250:Carbon Radioisotopes; D003470:Culture Media; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D012457:Salicylamides; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D020891:Raclopride; D007980:Levodopa; D003847:Deoxyglucose; D005947:Glucose; D004298:Dopamine