11C-Methionine PET of Myocardial Inflammation in a Rat Model of Experimental Autoimmune Myocarditis

• DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.116.174045
• Publication Date: 2016-07-08T02:53:52Z
• Authors: Yoshifumi Maya; Rudolf A. Werner; Claudia Schütz; Hiroshi Wakabayashi; Samuel Samnick; Constantin Lapa; Christina Zechmei...; Roland Jahns; Valérie Jahns; Takahiro Higuchi
• Keywords: CD68

Myocarditis represents a major cause of dilated cardiomyopathy and sudden cardiac death in younger adults. Currently, definitive diagnosis myocarditis requires endomyocardial biopsy, which is highly invasive has the drawback variable sensitivity due to inherent sampling error. Therefore, reliable noninvasive methods detect monitor inflammation are clinically relevant. In this study, we explored potential radiolabeled methionine assess myocardial inflammatory activity rat model experimental autoimmune (EAM). <b>Methods:</b> Autoimmune was induced by immunizing Lewis rats twice with porcine myosin Freund complete adjuvant. Control animals were treated adjuvant alone. Dual-tracer autoradiography performed ¹⁴C-methionine uptake compare distributions versus ¹⁸F-FDG. Hematoxylin eosin staining anti-CD68 macrophage for histologic analysis. Additionally, ¹¹C-methionine PET evaluate feasibility vivo imaging. ¹⁸F-FDG also conducted <b>Results:</b> Multiple focal lesions histologically identified myosin-immunized rats, whereas no observed controls. Autoradiographic images clearly showed high-density accumulation EAM significant control animals. significantly higher than remote noninflammatory areas hearts. The distribution correlated well that density. contrast between (3.45 ± 0.68 vs. 2.07 0.21, respectively; <i>P</i> &lt; 0.05). imaging regional (percentage injected dose per cubic centimeter) values obtained (0.64 0.09 0.28 0.02, 0.001). A good positive correlation found. <b>Conclusion:</b> myocarditis, demonstrated colocalization proven lesions. These data suggest might represent promising candidate detection monitoring myocarditis.