Evidence for regional catecholamine uptake and storage sites in the transplanted human heart by positron emission tomography

Journal Article · Wed May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Journal of Clinical Investigation; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI115185· OSTI ID:5734799

Schwaiger, M; Hutchins, G D; Kalff, V; Rosenspire, K; Haka, M S; Mallette, S; Deeb, G M; Abrams, G D; Wieland, D ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor (USA)

Positron emission tomography in combination with the newly introduced catecholamine analogue ({sup 11}C)hydroxyephedrine (({sup 11}C)HED) enables the noninvasive delineation of sympathetic nerve terminals of the heart. To address the ongoing controversy over possible reinnervation of the human transplant, 5 healthy control subjects and 11 patients were studied after cardiac transplant by this imaging approach. Regional ({sup 11}C)HED retention was compared to regional blood flow as assessed by rubidium-82. Transplant patients were divided into two groups. Group I had recent (less than 1 yr, 4.4 +/- 2.3 mo) surgery, while group II patients underwent cardiac transplantation more than 2 yr before imaging (3.5 +/- 1.3 yr). ({sup 11}C)HED retention paralleled blood flow in normals, but was homogeneously reduced in group I. In contrast, group II patients revealed heterogeneous ({sup 11}C)HED retention, with increased uptake in the proximal anterior and septal wall. Quantitative evaluation of ({sup 11}C)HED retention revealed a 70% reduction in group I and 59% reduction in group II patients (P less than 0.001). In group II patients, ({sup 11}C)HED retention reached 60% of normal in the proximal anterior wall. These data suggest the presence of neuronal tissue in the transplanted human heart, which may reflect regional sympathetic reinnervation.

• OSTI ID: 5734799
• Journal Information: Journal of Clinical Investigation; (USA), Journal Name: Journal of Clinical Investigation; (USA) Vol. 87:5; ISSN 0021-9738; ISSN JCINA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ALKALOIDS
AMINES
ANIMALS
AROMATICS
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AGENTS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BLOOD FLOW
BLOOD PRESSURE
BODY
CARBON 11
CARBON ISOTOPES
CARDIOVASCULAR AGENTS
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
CATECHOLAMINES
COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DRUGS
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
EMISSION COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY
EPHEDRINE
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEART
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
MAMMALS
MAN
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NERVES
NERVOUS SYSTEM
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PATIENTS
PHENOLS
POLYPHENOLS
POSITRON COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY
PRIMATES
RADIOISOTOPES
RUBIDIUM 82
RUBIDIUM ISOTOPES
SYMPATHOMIMETICS
TOMOGRAPHY
TRANSPLANTS
UPTAKE
VASOCONSTRICTORS
VERTEBRATES