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| Background. PET imaging of the dopamine transporter can be used to monitor the survival and growth of transplanted embryonic stem (ES) cells in a rat model of hemi-Parkinson disease. [18F]FECNT was used as a PET probe for the dopamine transporter. Dopamine innervation of one striatum was destroyed with unilateral injection of the toxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OH-DA).
Legend. A) A normal rat showed bilaterally symmetrical uptake of [18F]FECNT in striata following constant infusion of the radiotracer. B) A hemiparkinsonian rat receiving sham treatment displayed negligible uptake in the lesioned striatum. C) ES-cell transplantation partially restored uptake of [18F]FECNT in the lesioned striatum of a hemiparkinsonian rat. D) PET and MRI images of hemiparkinsonian rat with ES-cell transplantation into the left striatum were coregistered to define anatomic structures. Reference. J.A. Rodriguez-Gomez, J.-Q. Lu, I. Velasco, S. Rivera, S.S. Zoghbi, J-S. Liow, J.L. Musachio, J. Shah, F.T. Chin, M.S. Crescenzo, H. Toyama, J. Seidel, M.V. Green, P.K. Thanos, M. Ichise, V.W. Pike, R.B. Innis and R.M. McKay. Persistent Dopamine Functions of Neurons Derived from Embryonic Stem Cells in a Rodent Model of Parkinson Disease Stem Cells, 25: 918-928, 2007. (PDF File) |
