title: In vivo non-invasive serial monitoring of FDG-PET progression and regression in a rabbit model of atherosclerosis.
abstract: We investigated the ability of fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) imaging to serially monitor macrophage content in a rabbit model of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis was induced in rabbits (n = 8) by a combination of atherogenic diet and balloon denudation of the aorta. At the end of nine months, the rabbits were randomized to a further six months of the same atherogenic diet (progression group) or normal diet (regression group). In vivo uptake of FDG by the thoracic aorta was measured using aortic uptake-to-blood radioactivity ratios at the start and end of the randomized period. A significant increase in FDG uptake of the progression group after continued cholesterol feeding (aortic uptake-to-blood radioactivity: 0.57 +/- 0.02 to 0.68 +/- 0.02, P = 0.001), and a corresponding fall in FDG uptake of the regression group after returning to a normal chow diet (aortic uptake-to-blood radioactivity ratios: 0.67 +/- 0.02 to 0.53 +/- 0.02, P < 0.0001). FDG PET can quantify in vivo macrophage content and serially monitor changes in FDG activity in this rabbit model.
authors.affiliation: Zena and Michael A. Wiener Cardiovascular Institute, The Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY 10029, USA. stephen.worthley@adelaide.edu.au
authors.forename: Stephen G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Worthley
authors.forename: Zhuang Y
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Machac
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Helft
authors.forename: Cheuk
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Gary Y H
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Liew
authors.forename: Azfar G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Zaman
authors.forename: Matthew I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Worthley
authors.forename: Zahi A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Fayad
authors.forename: Monte S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Buchsbaum
authors.forename: Valentin
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fuster
authors.forename: Juan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Badimon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D004036:Diet, Atherogenic; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D011817:Rabbits; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18