title: In vivo imaging of the vesicular acetylcholine transporter and the vesicular monoamine transporter.
abstract: Validation of the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) and the neuronal vesicular monoamine transporter (VMAT2) as important molecular targets in the cholinergic and dopamine neurons, respectively, has sparked interest in the development of radiotracers for studying these markers in vitro and in vivo. Currently, a number of selective high-affinity radiotracers are available for studying these targets in vivo with positron emission tomography (PET) or single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). PET studies of VMAT2 in neuropathology reveal changes in the density of this marker that can be verified independently. Similarly, in vivo studies with VAChT ligands suggest that the latter are potentially useful in detecting cholinergic lesions in vivo; however, additional development is required to fully realize the potential of these radioligands.
authors: Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA. efang001@maroon.tc.umn.edu
authors: S M
authors: SM
authors: Efange
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine; D000818:Animals; D015306:Biogenic Monoamines; D001692:Biological Transport; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed / Q000379:methods*; D050494:Vesicular Acetylcholine Transport Proteins; D050492:Vesicular Biogenic Amine Transport Proteins; D050493:Vesicular Monoamine Transport Proteins; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins
chemical_list: D015306:Biogenic Monoamines; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D008024:Ligands; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; C493452:SLC18A2 protein, human; C493459:SLC18A3 protein, human; D050494:Vesicular Acetylcholine Transport Proteins; D050492:Vesicular Biogenic Amine Transport Proteins; D050493:Vesicular Monoamine Transport Proteins; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins; D000109:Acetylcholine