skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Evaluation of 99mTc-LDL for studying lipoprotein metabolism and imaging atherosclerotic lesions in vivo

Conference · · J. Nucl. Med.; (United States)
OSTI ID:7030919

Radioiodinated low density lipoprotein (LDL) used for studying LDL kinetics is not suitable for nuclear scintigraphy. /sup 99m/Tc-LDL, (Tc-LDL) with ideal physical imaging characteristics is being evaluated for the noninvasive identification of atherosclerotic lesions. LDL was labeled with Tc-99m and purified by gel chromatography (labeling efficiency 28 +- 8%). Human LDL labeled with Tc-99m and I-131 were injected simultaneously into a normal cynomolgus monkey. The plasma decay curves of the two tracers were identical (T1/2:4.5hrs) indicating that Tc-LDL is stable in plasma and is similar to /sup 131/I-LDL. Gamma camera images obtained at 30 min post injection showed that 40% of the activity of both tracers was in the liver. Over the next 4-8 hours, I-131 activity in the liver diminished and appeared in the lower abdomen and thyroid (representing deiodination) while Tc-99m activity in the liver remained stable indicating higher stability of Tc-LDL within hepatocytes. Tc-LDL (rabbit) was injected into normal rabbits and rabbits fed on an atherogenic 0.5% cholesterol diet for 3 months (ATR). 24 hour images showed significant uptake of Tc-LDL in the aorta of ART only. The isolated aorta from ATR showed Tc-LDL uptake in the lesions identified as ''fatty streaks'' by Sudan IV staining. These results suggest that Tc-LDL is stable in vivo and appears to be an efficient agent to identify sites of normal catabolism of LDL as well as uptake of LDL by fatty vascular lesions.

Research Organization:
Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York, NY
OSTI ID:
7030919
Report Number(s):
CONF-850611-; TRN: 87-010765
Journal Information:
J. Nucl. Med.; (United States), Vol. 26:5; Conference: 32. annual meeting of the Society of Nuclear Medicine, Houston, TX, USA, 2 Jun 1985
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English