Considerations of /sup 201/Tl as a myocardial radionuclide imaging agent in man

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1976 · Invest. Radiol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1097/00004424-197605000-00003· OSTI ID:7312699

Schelbert, H R; Henning, H; Rigo, P; Chauncey, D; O'Rourke, R A; Ashburn, W L

Recent reports have suggested the use of intravenous /sup 201/Tl (thallium-201) for myocardial imaging with the gamma scintillation camera. In order to better appreciate the possible utility of this agent in humans we examined its distribution and kinetics in 13 patients and in six mongrel dogs, three with experimental coronary artery occlusion. In addition, /sup 201/Tl was compared to /sup 86/Rb (rubidium-86) in 84 rats. In the rat heart, the concentration of /sup 201/Tl was 30 percent higher than that of /sup 86/Rb ten minutes after injection. Moreover, myocardium-to-blood ratios for /sup 201/Tl averaged 51:1, but only 32:1 for /sup 86/Rb ten minutes after administration. In the dog heart, the distribution of /sup 201/Tl paralleled that of radioiodinated (/sup 131/I) albumin particles injected into the left atrium and, thus, appears to be related to regional blood flow. Its concentration in ischemic regions decreased to 32.3 percent of the normally perfused myocardium. In the patients with a recent or old myocardial infarction, areas of decreased /sup 201/Tl uptake were easily identified and corresponded in location to that by ECG. Repeat scans 24 hours after the initial injection showed a significant retention of /sup 201/Tl by the myocardium. /sup 201/Tl blood levels in humans 15 minutes after injection were low (averaging 1.06 percent +- 0.41 percent SD of the total dose per liter) and these levels decreased with a biological half-life of 3.1 +- 0.7 days. Twenty-four hour urinary excretion rates ranged from 0.6 to 6.5 percent of the total dose and appeared related to urinary flow and the concentration of /sup 201/Tl in blood. Because of the higher target to background ratios, /sup 201/Tl compares favorably with radioactive rubidium. /sup 201/Tl in diagnostic doses remained without detectable adverse effects and appears promising as an agent for visualizing abnormal regional myocardial perfusion in patients with coronary artery disease.

• Research Organization: Univ. of California, San Diego
• OSTI ID: 7312699
• Journal Information: Invest. Radiol.; (United States), Journal Name: Invest. Radiol.; (United States) Vol. 11:3; ISSN INVRA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550601* -- Medicine-- Unsealed Radionuclides in Diagnostics
62 RADIOLOGY AND NUCLEAR MEDICINE
ALKALI METAL ISOTOPES
ANIMALS
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
COUNTING TECHNIQUES
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES
DOGS
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
HEART
HEAVY NUCLEI
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MAMMALS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
MUSCLES
MYOCARDIUM
NUCLEI
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANS
PATIENTS
RADIOISOTOPE SCANNING
RADIOISOTOPES
RATS
RODENTS
RUBIDIUM 86
RUBIDIUM ISOTOPES
SCINTISCANNING
SECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
THALLIUM 201
THALLIUM ISOTOPES
VERTEBRATES