In-vivo PET imaging of implanted human retinal pigment epithelium cells in a Parkinson's disease rat model.
OBJECTIVE
Researchers find that monitoring the differentiation of implanted cells in vivo is difficult. This study was designed to show that it is possible to track the efficacy of transplanted human retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE cells) in a rat model of Parkinson's disease by using positron emission tomography (PET).


METHODS
RPE cells or normal saline were injected into striatum of the injured side of the rat model in treated and control groups, respectively. PET imaging of both groups was undertaken before transplantation and at intervals afterwards, using C-raclopride and C-beta-CFT as the markers. Observation of the rats' behaviour and immunofluorescence confocal microscopy were also used to prove the PET results.


RESULTS
PET studies showed increased accumulation of C-raclopride and decreased C-beta-CFT in the injured side of striatum in both groups. C-raclopride decreased along with a concomitant increase of C-beta-CFT after transplantation in the treated group. The changes shown by the PET studies paralleled the behavioural states and confocal microscopy observations in the treated animals.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that even a clinical PET scanner could, to a certain extent, provide some information on the existence and in-vivo differentiation of RPE cells in a rat model of Parkinson's disease.
Wang
Ruimin
R
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Chinese PLA General Hospital, No. 28 Fuxing Road, Beijing, China.
Zhang
Jinming
J
Guo
Zhe
Z
Shen
Li
L
Shang
Aijia
A
Chen
Yingmao
Y
Yao
Shulin
S
He
Tingting
T
Yin
Dayi
D
Tian
Jiahe
J
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley