Fatal mechanical asphyxia induces changes in energy utilization in the rat brain: An (18)F-FDG-PET study.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to evaluate changes in brain glucose metabolism in rats following ligature strangulation.


METHODS
Thirteen male Wistar rats were used in the present study, divided into control (n=7) and asphyxia groups (n=6, ligature strangulation). Positron emission tomography (PET) with 2-deoxy-2-[(18)F]fluoro-D-glucose ((18)F-FDG) was used to evaluate brain glucose metabolism. Rats were scanned for PET-CT, and image data co-registered with a T2WI MRI template using SPM8 software. Image J was employed to draw regions of interest (ROIs) from the MRI template and acquire ROI activity information from the PET images.


RESULTS
In the asphyxia group vs. controls, (18)F-FDG uptake (FU) was decreased in the substantia nigra (25.26%, p<0.001), rhombencephalon (pons/medulla oblongata, 13.92%, p<0.01), hypothalamus (22.06%, p<0.01), ventral tegmentum (10.12%, p<0.05) and amygdala (12.74%, p<0.05); however, FU was increased in motor (18.21%, p<0.05) and visual cortices (19.2%, p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The glucose metabolism distribution map in the asphyxiated rat brains were substantially changed versus controls. PET with (18)F-FDG can demonstrate excitement and inhibition of different brain areas even in cases of ligature strangulation.
Department of Forensic Pathology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2 Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510080, PR China.
Suhua
S
Ma
Department of Forensic Pathology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2 Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510080, PR China.
Shengzhong
S
You
Department of Forensic Pathology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2 Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510080, PR China.
Li
L
Hao
Department of Forensic Pathology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2 Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510080, PR China.
Dongchuan
D
Zhang
Department of Forensic Pathology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-Sen University, 74 Zhongshan 2 Road, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province 510080, PR China; Department of Legal Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Osaka 545-8585, Japan. Electronic address: quanli2@mail.sysu.edu.cn.
Li
L
Quan
D000818:Animals; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000378:metabolism*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D059906:Neuroimaging / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
D005947:Glucose
2-Deoxy-2-[(18)F]fluoro-d-glucose ((18)F-FDG); Global cerebral ischemia; Mechanical asphyxia; Positron emission tomography (PET)