title: High-throughput multiple-mouse imaging with micro-PET/CT for whole-skeleton assessment.
abstract: Recent studies have proven that skeleton-wide functional assessment is essential to comprehensively understand physiological aspects of the skeletal system. Therefore, in contrast to regional imaging studies utilizing a multiple-animal holder (mouse hotel), we attempted to develop and characterize a multiple-mouse imaging system with micro-PET/CT for high-throughput whole-skeleton assessment. Using items found in a laboratory, a simple mouse hotel that houses four mice linked with gas anesthesia was constructed. A mouse-simulating phantom was used to measure uniformity in a cross sectional area and flatness (Amax/Amin*100) along the axial, radial and tangential directions, where Amax and Amin are maximum and minimum activity concentration in the profile, respectively. Fourteen mice were used for single- or multiple-micro-PET/CT scans. NaF uptake was measured at eight skeletal sites (skull to tibia). Skeletal (18)F activities measured with mice in the mouse hotel were within 1.6 ± 4% (mean ± standard deviation) of those measured with mice in the single-mouse holder. Single-holder scanning yields slightly better uniformity and flatness over the hotel. Compared to use of the single-mouse holder, scanning with the mouse hotel reduced study time (by 65%), decreased the number of scans (four-fold), reduced cost, required less computer storage space (40%), and maximized (18)F usage. The mouse hotel allows high-throughput, quantitatively equivalent scanning compared to the single-mouse holder for micro-PET/CT imaging for whole-skeleton assessment of mice.
authors.affiliation: Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Radiation Oncology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yagi
authors.affiliation: Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Luke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Arentsen
authors.affiliation: Biostatistics Core, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minneapolis, USA.
authors.forename: Ryan M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Shanley
authors.affiliation: Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA. Electronic address: huixx019@umn.edu.
authors.forename: Susanta K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Hui
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D019047:Phantoms, Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods*; D012969:Sodium Fluoride; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D012969:Sodium Fluoride
keywords: Bone; High-throughput; Micro-PET/CT; Mouse hotel; Multiple-animal holder