[en] The in vivo quantification of myocardial muscarinic receptors has been obtained in six closed-chest dogs by using positron emission tomography. The dogs were injected with a trace amount of 11C-labeled methylquinuclidinyl benzilate (MQNB), a nonmetabolized antagonist of the muscarinic receptor. This was followed 30 minutes later by an injection of an excess of unlabeled MQNB (displacement experiment). Two additional injections of unlabeled MQNB with [11C]MQNB and without [11C]MQNB (second displacement experiment) were administered after 70 and 120 minutes, respectively. This protocol allowed a separate evaluation of the quantity of available receptors (B'max) as well as the association and dissociation rate constants (k+1 and k-1) in each dog. The parameters were calculated by using a nonlinear mathematical model in regions of interest over the left ventricle and the interventricular septum. The average value of B'max was 42 +/- 11 pmol/ml tissue, the rate constants k+1, k-1, and Kd were 0.6 +/- 0.1 ml.pmol-1.min-1, 0.27 +/- 0.03 ml.pmol-1.min-1, and 0.49 +/- 0.14 pmol.ml-1, respectively, taking into account the MQNB reaction volume estimated to 0.15 ml/ml tissue. Although [11C]MQNB binding would appear irreversible, our findings indicate that the association of the antagonist is very rapid and that the dissociation is far from negligible. The dissociated ligand, however, has a high probability of rebinding to a free receptor site instead of escaping into the microcirculation. We deduce that the positron emission tomographic images obtained after injecting a trace amount of [11C]MQNB are more representative of blood flow than of receptor density or affinity. We also suggest a simplified protocol consisting of a tracer injection of [11C]MQNB and a second injection of an excess of cold MQNB, which is sufficient to measure B'max and Kd in humans

[en] In the frame of the Crystal Clear Collaboration, a small animal PET prototype is presented. To measure the depth of interaction we have chosen a LSO/LuAP phoswich mode. Recent results on LuAP in terms of light yield and scintillation decay are presented. Multi-Anode PMT from Hamamatsu were used for the light detection. A dedicated acquisition electronics fully based on Ethernet was developed for the readout configuration and the data acquisition. In this note, we present the progress status and the perspectives of this work

[en] Positron Emission Tomography (PET) constitutes a non-traumatic, dynamic and quantitative functional imaging method, particularly adapted for biological and medical investigations. Various topics can be investigated by PET, such as animal models of human pathologies, physiopathological processes, therapeutic and diagnostic strategies. The number and variety of questions for which PET can provide answers depends on the development and adaptation of tools offered by PET research centres and especially depends on the variety of available radiopharmaceutical agents. To answer researchers' questions, these centres should be equipped with dedicated and functional imaging platforms, as well as having a defined development policy. The objectives of this policy should be agreed by consensus by a multidisciplinary team under the leadership of medical and biological researchers. (author)

No abstract available

[en] A self-organized Radial Basis Function Network (RBFN) is proposed for the problem of object extraction in Positron Emission Tomography Images of the heart. RBENs are supervised-learning networks. However, viewing the output of the networks as a fuzzy set, we have able to compute the error of the system using fuzziness measures. Thus, there is no need of target output for training the network. Besides the self-organizing feature of the network, our RBFN has a non linear output layer trained using the back-propagation algorithm. Two mathematical models of fuzzy measures have been considered: the index of fuzziness and fuzzy entropy. Preliminary results show that entropy measure produced a better extraction of healthy myocardium. (authors)

[en] Carcinomas of unknown primary site (C.U.P.) and para neoplastic syndromes have the common characteristic that an extensive conventional biological and imaging analysis fails in some instance to detect the primary tumour. F.D.G.-PET becomes recognized to provide interesting information in the case of 'head and neck' C.U.P. as well as in the case of neurological para neoplastic syndromes biologically well defined. When, either C.U.P. or para neoplastic syndromes, are less defined, F.D.G.-PET will not provide as much information as in the previous situation, although it can help in the etiologic diagnosis (oncologic or not) in some cases. (authors)

[en] The advent of the molecular era has just generated a revolution in the development of new in vivo imaging techniques to examine the integrative functions of molecules, cells, organ systems and whole organisms. Molecular imaging constitutes a new tool allowing the biologist to characterize, repeatedly and non-invasively, a large number of experimental models developed in rodents. In order to monitor biological processes such as gene expression, normal development, metabolic alterations or medical treatment effects, several methodological and technological challenges have to be raised up. Developments are needed in chemistry to create new radiotracers or contrast agents, and in physic, to adapt the medical imaging techniques to the constraints of small animal investigations. ANIMAGE is a multimodal imaging platform to image the structure and function of systems using and developing different technologies such as autoradiography, ultrasounds, positron emission tomography (PET), X-ray computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy (MRI/MRS). The first biological applications and results are presented

[en] Incomplete microvascular reperfusion is often observed in patients undergoing thrombolytic therapy or angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction and has important prognostic implications. We compared the myocardial uptake of diffusible (²⁰¹Tl) and deposited (^99mTcN-NOET) perfusion imaging agents in the setting of experimental infarction. Rats were subjected to permanent coronary occlusion (OCC, n=10) or to 45-min occlusion and reperfusion (REP, n=17). Seven days later, the tracers were co-injected and the animals were euthanised 15 min (all ten rats in the OCC group and 12 rats in the REP group) or 120 min (five rats from the REP group, euthanised at this time point to evaluate any redistribution of the tracers: REP-RED group) afterwards. Infarct size determination and ^99mTcN-NOET/²⁰¹Tl ex vivo imaging were performed. Regional flow and tissue oedema were quantified using radioactive microspheres and ^99mTc-DTPA, respectively. ^99mTcN-NOET and ²⁰¹Tl defect magnitudes were similar in OCC animals (0.11±0.01 vs 0.13±0.01). In REP animals, ²⁰¹Tl defect magnitude (0.25±0.02) was significantly lower than the magnitude of ^99mTcN-NOET and flow defects (0.14±0.03 and 0.17±0.01, respectively; p<0.05), despite the lack of ²⁰¹Tl redistribution (REP-RED animals). ^99mTc-DTPA indicated the presence of oedema in the reperfused area. Blood distribution studies showed that, unlike ^99mTcN-NOET, ²⁰¹Tl plasma activity was mostly unbound to plasma proteins. ^99mTcN-NOET and ²⁰¹Tl delineated the non-viable area in chronic non-reperfused and reperfused myocardial infarction. The significantly decreased ²⁰¹Tl defect in reperfused infarction was likely due to partial diffusion of the tracer from the plasma into the oedema present in the infarcted area. Deposited perfusion tracers might be better suited than diffusible agents for the assessment of regional flow following reperfusion of myocardial infarction. (orig.)

No abstract available

No abstract available