Recent Advances in Cardiovascular Diseases Research Using Animal Models and PET Radioisotope Tracers

Figure 1. Simplified schematic of positron annihilation. At low energy, the emission of the positron particle results in the annihilation of the electron-positron pair and the production of energetic photons. Ideally, two photons are formed in a linear arrangement with an electron or positron resting energy of 511 keV.

Figure 2. Summary of the key mechanisms of PET cardiovascular tracers. [18F]-ANP-Cin = [18F]-AlF-NOTA-PEG3-Cinnamycin, [11C]-ATV-1 = carbon-11-labelled pan-angiogenic receptor inhibitor, [18F]-FDG = [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose, [18F]-FDPA = N,N-diethyl-2-(2-(4-(2-fluoroethoxy)phenyl)-5,7-dimethylpyrazolo [1,5-a]pyrimidin-3-yl)acetamide, [68Ga]-DOTATATE = [68Ga]-1,4,7,10-tetraaza -cyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid-D-Phe1-Tyr3-octreotate, NOC = 1-Nal3-octreotide, RGD = arginine-glycine-aspartic acid, NODAGA = 2-[1,4,7-Triazacyclononan-1-yl-4,7-bis(tBu-ester)]-1,5-pentanedioic acid, [18F]-ML-8 = 2-(3-[18F]fluoropropyl)-2-methyl-malonic acid, SSTR = somatostatin receptor sub-type 2, CXCR 4 = CXC-motif chemokine-receptor 4, GLUT = glucose transporter, TSPO = translocator protein.

Figure 3. Atherosclerosis. Narrowing of the artery and obstructed blood flow.

Figure 4. Detection of microcalcifications with [18F]-sodium fluoride ([18F]-NaF). CT–computed tomography.

Figure 5. Mechanisms of action of perfusion PET tracers. [13N]-NH3 = [13N]-ammonia, MTC = monocarboxylate transporter, [18F]-flurpiridaz = 4-Chloro-5-[(4-{[2-[18F]fluoroethoxy]methyl}benzyl)oxy]-2-(2-methyl-2-propanyl)-3(2H)-pyridazinone, TAC = the tricarboxylic acid cycle.