title: Pharmacokinetic properties of intravitreal I-124-aflibercept in a rabbit model using PET/CT.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the anatomic characteristics and pharmacokinetic properties of intravitreally-placed aflibercept in a rabbit model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four Dutch-belted rabbits underwent intravitreal injection with I-124-aflibercept. Serial imaging with PET/CT imaging was performed on days 0, 2, 5, 7, 14, 21, 28 and 35. Measured radioactivity emission in becquerels/mL was used to calculate the half-lives for aflibercept.
  
  
  RESULTS
  I-124 aflibercept was confined within the vitreous cavity for the duration of the study. I-124 aflibercept could be detected in the vitreous cavity until day 28 and the average retention time with standard error after correction for radioactive decay was 4.58 ± 0.07 days.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  I-124 aflibercept was only visible in the vitreous cavity by PET/CT imaging following intravitreal injection. The retention properties were found to be comparable to those measured by other reported methods.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA. john.christoforidis@osumc.edu
authors.forename: John B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Christoforidis
authors.forename: Michelle M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Shankaran
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kothandaraman
authors.forename: Krishan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Frank J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Epitropoulos
authors.forename: Michael V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Knopp
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006207:Half-Life; D058449:Intravitreal Injections; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D023421:Models, Animal; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011817:Rabbits; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; C533178:aflibercept; D040262:Receptors, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor