In Vivo Radiotracer Imaging

Author(s):  
Bertrand Tavitian ◽  
Régine Trbossen ◽  
Roberto Pasqualini ◽  
Frédéric Doll
Keyword(s):  
2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 161
Author(s):  
Pankaj A Agarwal ◽  
A Jon Stoessl ◽  
◽  

Since structural imaging has generally failed to demonstrate consistent abnormalities in Parkinson’s disease (PD), from an imaging perspective, the diagnosis has typically been based upon the demonstration of impaired striatal dopamine (DA) function. Radiotracer imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computerised tomography (SPECT) allow thein vivoassessment of nigrostriatal DA function as well as regional cerebral blood flow, glucose metabolism, and functional connectivity, and changes in these measures have been used to infer disease progression. Pre-synaptic radiotracer imaging (RTI) has shown that striatal dopaminergic hypofunction follows a negative exponential pattern with the fastest rate of decline in early disease. Moreover, while striatal subregions remain differentially affected throughout the course of disease, with the posterior putamen affected more than anterior structures, the rate of deterioration is similar in all subregions. However, although functional imaging is undoubtedly a very useful tool in the assessment of PD progression, various studies have shown discordance between clinical progression of PD and nigrostriatal degeneration estimated by PET or SPECT. Therefore, considerable caution is warranted in the interpretation of imaging findings. While a potentially invaluable complement in assessing the severity of dopaminergic dysfunction, functional imaging is not a substitute for clinical assessment and other objective measures of PD severity, and cannot be currently considered a biomarker for progression of PD.


US Neurology ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 07 (01) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
Pankaj A Agarwal ◽  
A Jon Stoessl ◽  
◽  

Since structural imaging has generally failed to demonstrate consistent abnormalities in Parkinson’s disease (PD), from an imaging perspective, the diagnosis has typically been based upon the demonstration of impaired striatal dopamine (DA) function. Radiotracer imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) allow thein vivoassessment of nigrostriatal DA function as well as regional cerebral blood flow, glucose metabolism, and functional connectivity, and changes in these measures have been used to infer disease progression. Pre-synaptic radiotracer imaging (RTI) has shown that striatal dopaminergic hypofunction follows a negative exponential pattern with the fastest rate of decline in early disease. Moreover, while striatal subregions remain differentially affected throughout the course of disease, with the posterior putamen affected more than anterior structures, the rate of deterioration is similar in all subregions. However, although functional imaging is undoubtedly a very useful tool in the assessment of PD progression, various studies have shown discordance between clinical progression of PD and nigrostriatal degeneration estimated by PET or SPECT. Therefore, considerable caution is warranted in the interpretation of imaging findings. While a potentially invaluable complement in assessing the severity of dopaminergic dysfunction, functional imaging is not a substitute for clinical assessment and other objective measures of PD severity, and cannot be currently considered a biomarker for progression of PD.


Author(s):  
S. Phyllis Steamer ◽  
Rosemarie L. Devine

The importance of radiation damage to the skin and its vasculature was recognized by the early radiologists. In more recent studies, vascular effects were shown to involve the endothelium as well as the surrounding connective tissue. Microvascular changes in the mouse pinna were studied in vivo and recorded photographically over a period of 12-18 months. Radiation treatment at 110 days of age was total body exposure to either 240 rad fission neutrons or 855 rad 60Co gamma rays. After in vivo observations in control and irradiated mice, animals were sacrificed for examination of changes in vascular fine structure. Vessels were selected from regions of specific interest that had been identified on photomicrographs. Prominent ultrastructural changes can be attributed to aging as well as to radiation treatment. Of principal concern were determinations of ultrastructural changes associated with venous dilatations, segmental arterial stenosis and tortuosities of both veins and arteries, effects that had been identified on the basis of light microscopic observations. Tortuosities and irregularly dilated vein segments were related to both aging and radiation changes but arterial stenosis was observed only in irradiated animals.


Author(s):  
E. J. Kollar

The differentiation and maintenance of many specialized epithelial structures are dependent on the underlying connective tissue stroma and on an intact basal lamina. These requirements are especially stringent in the development and maintenance of the skin and oral mucosa. The keratinization patterns of thin or thick cornified layers as well as the appearance of specialized functional derivatives such as hair and teeth can be correlated with the specific source of stroma which supports these differentiated expressions.


Author(s):  
M.J. Murphy ◽  
R.R. Price ◽  
J.C. Sloman

The in vitro human tumor cloning assay originally described by Salmon and Hamburger has been applied recently to the investigation of differential anti-tumor drug sensitivities over a broad range of human neoplasms. A major problem in the acceptance of this technique has been the question of the relationship between the cultured cells and the original patient tumor, i.e., whether the colonies that develop derive from the neoplasm or from some other cell type within the initial cell population. A study of the ultrastructural morphology of the cultured cells vs. patient tumor has therefore been undertaken to resolve this question. Direct correlation was assured by division of a common tumor mass at surgical resection, one biopsy being fixed for TEM studies, the second being rapidly transported to the laboratory for culture.


Author(s):  
H. Engelhardt ◽  
R. Guckenberger ◽  
W. Baumeister

Bacterial photosynthetic membranes contain, apart from lipids and electron transport components, reaction centre (RC) and light harvesting (LH) polypeptides as the main components. The RC-LH complexes in Rhodopseudomonas viridis membranes are known since quite seme time to form a hexagonal lattice structure in vivo; hence this membrane attracted the particular attention of electron microscopists. Contrary to previous claims in the literature we found, however, that 2-D periodically organized photosynthetic membranes are not a unique feature of Rhodopseudomonas viridis. At least five bacterial species, all bacteriophyll b - containing, possess membranes with the RC-LH complexes regularly arrayed. All these membranes appear to have a similar lattice structure and fine-morphology. The lattice spacings of the Ectothiorhodospira haloohloris, Ectothiorhodospira abdelmalekii and Rhodopseudomonas viridis membranes are close to 13 nm, those of Thiocapsa pfennigii and Rhodopseudomonas sulfoviridis are slightly smaller (∼12.5 nm).


Author(s):  
Frederick A. Murphy ◽  
Alyne K. Harrison ◽  
Sylvia G. Whitfield

The bullet-shaped viruses are currently classified together on the basis of similarities in virion morphology and physical properties. Biologically and ecologically the member viruses are extremely diverse. In searching for further bases for making comparisons of these agents, the nature of host cell infection, both in vivo and in cultured cells, has been explored by thin-section electron microscopy.


Author(s):  
Raul I. Garcia ◽  
Evelyn A. Flynn ◽  
George Szabo

Skin pigmentation in mammals involves the interaction of epidermal melanocytes and keratinocytes in the structural and functional unit known as the Epidermal Melanin Unit. Melanocytes(M) synthesize melanin within specialized membrane-bound organelles, the melanosome or pigment granule. These are subsequently transferred by way of M dendrites to keratinocytes(K) by a mechanism still to be clearly defined. Three different, though not necessarily mutually exclusive, mechanisms of melanosome transfer have been proposed: cytophagocytosis by K of M dendrite tips containing melanosomes, direct injection of melanosomes into the K cytoplasm through a cell-to-cell pore or communicating channel formed by localized fusion of M and K cell membranes, release of melanosomes into the extracellular space(ECS) by exocytosis followed by K uptake using conventional phagocytosis. Variability in methods of transfer has been noted both in vivo and in vitro and there is evidence in support of each transfer mechanism. We Have previously studied M-K interactions in vitro using time-lapse cinemicrography and in vivo at the ultrastructural level using lanthanum tracer and freeze-fracture.


Author(s):  
Awtar Krishan ◽  
Dora Hsu

Cells exposed to antitumor plant alkaloids, vinblastine and vincristine sulfate have large proteinacious crystals and complexes of ribosomes, helical polyribosomes and electron-dense granular material (ribosomal complexes) in their cytoplasm, Binding of H3-colchicine by the in vivo crystals shows that they contain microtubular proteins. Association of ribosomal complexes with the crystals suggests that these structures may be interrelated.In the present study cultured human leukemic lymphoblasts (CCRF-CEM), were incubated with protein and RNA-synthesis inhibitors, p. fluorophenylalanine, puromycin, cycloheximide or actinomycin-D before the addition of crystal-inducing doses of vinblastine to the culture medium. None of these compounds could completely prevent the formation of the ribosomal complexes or the crystals. However, in cells pre-incubated with puromycin, cycloheximide, or actinomycin-D, a reduction in the number and size of the ribosomal complexes was seen. Large helical polyribosomes were absent in the ribosomal complexes of cells treated with puromycin, while in cells exposed to cycloheximide, there was an apparent reduction in the number of ribosomes associated with the ribosomal complexes (Fig. 2).


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