title: Uptake of 11C-choline in mouse atherosclerotic plaques.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore the feasibility of (11)C-choline in the assessment of the degree of inflammation in atherosclerotic plaques.
  
  
  METHODS
  Uptake of (11)C-choline was studied ex vivo in tissue samples and aortic sections excised from 6 atherosclerotic mice deficient for both low-density lipoprotein receptor and apolipoprotein B48 (LDLR(-/-)ApoB(100/100)) and 5 control mice. The autoradiographs were compared with the immunohistology of the arterial sites.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The uptake of (11)C-choline (percentage of the injected activity per gram of tissue) in the atherosclerotic aortas of the LDLR(-/-)ApoB(100/100) mice was significantly higher (1.9-fold, P = 0.0016) than that in the aortas of the control mice. The autoradiography analysis showed significantly higher uptake of (11)C-choline in the plaques than in healthy vessel wall (mean ratio, 2.3 +/- 0.6; P = 0.014), prominently in inflamed plaques, compared with noninflamed plaque areas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We observed a high (11)C-choline uptake in the aortic plaques of atherosclerotic mice. Our data suggest that macrophages may be responsible for the uptake of (11)C-choline in the plaques.
authors.affiliation: Turku PET Centre, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. iina.laitinen@gmail.com
authors.forename: Iina E K
authors.initials: IE
authors.lastname: Laitinen
authors.forename: Pauliina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Luoto
authors.forename: Kjell
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Någren
authors.forename: Päivi M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Marjamäki
authors.forename: Johanna M U
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Silvola
authors.forename: Sanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hellberg
authors.forename: V Jukka O
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Laine
authors.forename: Seppo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ylä-Herttuala
authors.forename: Juhani
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Knuuti
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roivainen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001055:Apolipoproteins B / Q000235:genetics; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002794:Choline / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D015925:Cryopreservation; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007249:Inflammation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D011973:Receptors, LDL / Q000235:genetics; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D001055:Apolipoproteins B; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D011973:Receptors, LDL; D002794:Choline