title: Novel molecular imaging of atherosclerosis with gallium-68-labeled apolipoprotein A-I mimetic peptide and positron emission tomography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High-density lipoprotein (HDL) plays a major role in reverse cholesterol transport. Many researchers have been working to enhance the biochemical function of HDL for use in therapy. Although HDL therapy using injections of apolipoprotein (apo)-A-I mimetics, apo A-I Milano or full-length apo A-I is dramatically effective, it is still unclear whether apo A-I or apo A-I mimetics actually enter atherosclerotic plaque and remove cholesterol from the lipid burden. We synthesized a novel 24-amino acid apo A-I mimetic peptide (known as FAMP) that potently removes cholesterol via specific ATP-binding cassette transporter A1. We then investigated the potential of FAMP to image developing plaque lesions in vivo.
  
  
  RESULTS
  FAMP was modified with 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) and radiolabeled with gallium-68 ((68)Ga) for noninvasive positron emission tomography (PET) in an animal model (familial hypercholesterolemic myocardial infarction-prone rabbits: WHHL-MI) with atherosclerotic lesions. The (68)Ga-DOTA-FAMP was dramatically taken up by atherosclerotic tissues in the blood vessels and aorta of WHHL-MI rabbits, but not the control rabbits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An apo A-I mimetic peptide with (68)Ga-DOTA is a promising candidate diagnostic tracer for PET imaging of the atherosclerotic lipid burden and may contribute to the development of a tool for the diagnosis of plaque with PET.
authors: Department of Cardiology, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors: Emi
authors: E
authors: Kawachi
authors: Yoshinari
authors: Y
authors: Uehara
authors: Koki
authors: K
authors: Hasegawa
authors: Eiji
authors: E
authors: Yahiro
authors: Setsuko
authors: S
authors: Ando
authors: Yasuhiro
authors: Y
authors: Wada
authors: Tsuneo
authors: T
authors: Yano
authors: Hiroaki
authors: H
authors: Nishikawa
authors: Masashi
authors: M
authors: Shiomi
authors: Shin-ichiro
authors: S
authors: Miura
authors: Yasuyoshi
authors: Y
authors: Watanabe
authors: Keijiro
authors: K
authors: Saku
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D005709:Gallium Isotopes; D006801:Humans; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D058226:Plaque, Atherosclerotic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D011817:Rabbits; D011859:Radiography; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D016632:Apolipoprotein A-I; D005709:Gallium Isotopes; D010455:Peptides; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals