title: Dopamine transporter imaging in the aged rat: a [¹²³I]FP-CIT SPECT study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Rodent models are extensively used to assess the biochemical and physiological changes associated with aging. They play a major role in the development of therapies for age-related pathologies such as Parkinson's disease. To validate the usefulness of these animal models in aging or age-related disease research, the consistency of cerebral aging processes across species must be evaluated. The dopaminergic system seems particularly susceptible to the aging process. One of the results of this susceptibility is a decline in striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) availability.
  
  
  METHODS
  We sought to ascertain whether similar age changes could be detected in-vivo in rats, using molecular imaging techniques such as single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with [(123)I]FP-CIT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A significant decrease of 17.21% in the striatal specific uptake ratio was observed in the aged rats with respect to the young control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that age-related degeneration in the nigrostriatal track is similar in humans and rats, which supports the use of this animal in models to evaluate the effect of aging on the dopaminergic system.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate that age-related degeneration in the nigrostriatal track is similar in humans and rats and that these changes can be monitored in vivo using small animal SPECT with [(123)I]FP-CIT, which could facilitate the translational research in rat models of age related disorders of dopaminergic system.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN); Unitat de Biofísica i Bioenginyeria, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona.
authors.forename: Aida
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Niñerola-Baizán
authors.affiliation: Institut d'Alta Tecnologia, PRBB, CRC Corporació Sanitària; Fundació Pasqual Maragall.
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.affiliation: Unitat de Biofísica i Bioenginyeria, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona; Unidad de Imagen, CIMES, Fundación General de la Universidad de Málaga.
authors.forename: Núria
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Roé-Vellvé
authors.affiliation: Servei de Medicina Nuclear, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM); Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS).
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lomeña
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN); Unitat de Biofísica i Bioenginyeria, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Barcelona; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS).
authors.forename: Domènec
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ros
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN); Servei de Medicina Nuclear, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona; Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS). Electronic address: jpavia@clinic.ub.es.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pavía
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014326:Tropanes
chemical_list: D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D014326:Tropanes; C087552:2-carbomethoxy-8-(3-fluoropropyl)-3-(4-iodophenyl)tropane
keywords: Aging; Dopamine; Dopamine transporter (DAT); Rat; Single positron emission computed tomography (SPECT); [(123)I]FP-CIT