Absence of cardiovascular manifestations in a haploinsufficient Tgfbr1 mouse model

Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is an autosomal dominant arterial aneurysm disease belonging to the spectrum of transforming growth factor β (TGFβ)-associated vasculopathies. In its most typical form it is characterized by the presence of hypertelorism, bifid uvula/cleft palate and aortic aneurysm and/or arterial tortuosity. LDS is caused by heterozygous loss of function mutations in the genes encoding TGFβ receptor 1 and 2 (TGFBR1 and -2), which lead to a paradoxical increase in TGFβ signaling. To address this apparent paradox and to gain more insight into the pathophysiology of aneurysmal disease, we characterized a new Tgfbr1 mouse model carrying a p.Y378*nonsense mutation. Study of the natural history in this model showed that homozygous mutant mice die during embryonic development due to defective vascularization. Heterozygous mutant mice aged 6 and 12 months were morphologically and (immuno)histochemically indistinguishable from wild-type mice. We show that the mutant allele is degraded by nonsense mediated mRNA decay, expected to result in haploinsufficiency of the mutant allele. Since this haploinsufficiency model does not result in cardiovascular malformations, it does not allow further study of the process of aneurysm formation. In addition to providing a comprehensive method for cardiovascular phenotyping in mice, the results of this study confirm that haploinsuffciency is not the underlying genetic mechanism in human LDS

Radiosynthesis and in vivo evaluation of [11C]-labelled pyrrole-2-carboxamide derivates as novel radioligands for PET imaging of monoamine oxidase A

Introduction: Since MAO-A is an enzyme involved in the metabolism of neurotransmitters, fluctuations in MAO-A functionality are associated with psychiatric and neurological disorders as well as with tobacco addiction and behaviour. This study reports the radiolabelling of two [11C]-labelled pyrrole-2-carboxamide derivates, RS 2315 and RS 2360, along with the characterization of their in vivo properties. Methods: The radiolabelling of [11C]-RS 2315 and [11C]-RS 2360 was accomplished by alkylation of their amide precursors with [11C]CH3I. Biodistribution, blocking and metabolite studies of both tracers were performed in NMRI mice. Finally, a PET study in Sprague-Dawley rats was performed for [11C]-RS 2360. Results: Both tracers were obtained in a radiochemical yield of approximately 30% with radiochemical purity of >98%. Biodistribution studies showed high brain uptake followed by rapid brain clearance for both radiotracers. In the brain, [11C]-RS 2360 was more stable than [11C]-RS 2315. Blocking studies in mice could not demonstrate specificity of [11C]-RS 2315 towards MAO-A or MAO-B. The blocking and imaging study with [11C]-RS 2360 on the other hand indicated specific binding in MAO-A at the earliest time points. Conclusions: [11C]-RS 2315 displayed a high nonspecific binding and is therefore not suitable for visualization of MAO-A in vivo. [11C]-RS 2360 on the other hand has potential for mapping MAO-A since specific binding is demonstrated. © 2010

The Effects of Physiological and Methodological Determinants on 18

Introduction: In this study, the influence of physiological determinants on 18F-fluoro- d -glucose ( 18 F-FDG) brain uptake was evaluated in a mouse model of Alzheimer disease. Materials and Methods: TASTPM (Tg) and age-matched C57BL/6 J (WT) mice were fasted for 10 hours, while another group was fasted for 20 hours to evaluate the effect of fasting duration. The effect of repeatedly scanning was evaluated by scanning Tg and WT mice at days 1, 4, and 7. Brain 18 F-FDG uptake was evaluated in the thalamus being the most indicative region. Finally, the cerebellum was tested as a reference region for the relative standard uptake value (rSUV). Results: When correcting the brain uptake for glucose, the effect of different fasting durations was attenuated and the anticipated hypometabolism in Tg mice was demonstrated. Also, with repeated scanning, the brain uptake values within a group and the hypometabolism of the Tg mice only remained stable over time when glucose correction was applied. Finally, hypometabolism was also observed in the cerebellum, yielding artificially higher rSUV values for Tg mice. Conclusion: Corrections for blood glucose levels have to be applied when semiquantifying 18 F-FDG brain uptake in mouse models for AD. Potential reference regions for normalization should be thoroughly investigated to ensure that they are not pathologically affected also by afferent connections