title: Effect of nicotinic acid on exogenous myocardial glucose utilization.
abstract: Clinical assessment of myocardial glucose uptake with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) and PET requires the control of circulating substrates to achieve acceptable image quality.
  
  
  METHODS
  To determine the efficacy of the hypolipemic effect of oral niacin upon myocardial 18F-FDG uptake, five volunteers were studied with 18F-FDG and PET in the fasting state, with and without treatment with niacin. Levels of glucose, fatty acids, insulin and catecholamines were measured at baseline and before and after 18F-FDG administration by programmed infusion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant changes in glucose or insulin levels occurred with niacin. A significant decrease in fatty acid levels with niacin treatment was associated with a two- to three-fold increase in myocardial glucose utilization rates relative to the fasting state. Furthermore, regional variation in tracer distribution with greater uptake in the lateral wall than the septum or anterior wall in the fasting studies was not present after niacin treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As determined by programmed infusion of 18F-FDG and PET imaging, niacin treatment in normal volunteers was associated with an increase in exogenous glucose utilization by the heart and a decrease in the cardiac regional variation of 18F-FDG. Further studies are needed to compare the relative value of niacin therapy and oral glucose loading for determination of myocardial exogenous glucose utilization rates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School, USA.
authors.forename: C K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Holden
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Stanley
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Perlman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005461:Fluorine; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006321:Heart / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007328:Insulin / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D009525:Niacin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D007328:Insulin; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D009525:Niacin; D005461:Fluorine; D003847:Deoxyglucose; D005947:Glucose