A Comparative pO2 Probe and [18F]-Fluoro-Azomycinarabino-Furanoside ([18F]FAZA) PET Study Reveals Anesthesia-Induced Impairment of Oxygenation and Perfusion in Tumor and Muscle.

CT26 colon carcinoma-bearing mice were anesthetized with isoflurane (IF) or ketamine/xylazine (KX) while breathing air or oxygen (O2). We performed 10 min static PET scans 1 h, 2 h and 3 h after [18F]FAZA injection and calculated the [18F]FAZA-uptake and tumor-to-muscle ratios (T/M). In another experimental group, we placed a pO2 probe in the tumor as well as in the gastrocnemius muscle to measure the pO2 and perfusion.Ketamine/xylazine-anesthetized mice yielded up to 3.5-fold higher T/M-ratios compared to their isoflurane-anesthetized littermates 1 h, 2 h and 3 h after [18F]FAZA injection regardless of whether the mice breathed air or oxygen (3 h, KX-air: 7.1 vs. IF-air: 1.8, p = 0.0001, KX-O2: 4.4 vs. IF-O2: 1.4, p < 0.0001). The enhanced T/M-ratios in ketamine/xylazine-anesthetized mice were mainly caused by an increased [18F]FAZA uptake in the carcinomas. Invasive pO2 probe measurements yielded enhanced intra-tumoral pO2 values in air- and oxygen-breathing ketamine/xylazine-anesthetized mice compared to isoflurane-anesthetized mice (KX-air: 1.01 mmHg, IF-air: 0.45 mmHg; KX-O2 9.73 mmHg, IF-O2: 6.25 mmHg). Muscle oxygenation was significantly higher in air-breathing isoflurane-anesthetized (56.9 mmHg) than in ketamine/xylazine-anesthetized mice (33.8 mmHg, p = 0.0003).[18F]FAZA tumor uptake was highest in ketamine/xylazine-anesthetized mice regardless of whether the mice breathed air or oxygen. The generally lower [18F]FAZA whole-body uptake in isoflurane-anesthetized mice could be due to the higher muscle pO2-values in these mice compared to ketamine/xylazine-anesthetized mice. When performing preclinical in vivo hypoxia PET studies, oxygen should be avoided, and ketamine/xylazine-anesthesia might alleviate the identification of tumor hypoxia areals

Cu-64 antibody-targeting of the T-cell receptor and subsequent internalization enables in vivo tracking of lymphocytes by PET

T cells are key players in inflammation, autoimmune diseases, and immunotherapy. Thus, holistic and noninvasive in vivo characterizations of the temporal distribution and homing dynamics of lymphocytes in mammals are of special interest. Herein, we show that PET-based T-cell labeling facilitates quantitative, highly sensitive, and holistic monitoring of T-cell homing patterns in vivo. We developed a new T-cell receptor (TCR)-specific labeling approach for the intracellular labeling of mouse T cells. We found that continuous TCR plasma membrane turnover and the endocytosis of the specific (64)Cu-monoclonal antibody (mAb)–TCR complex enables a stable labeling of T cells. The TCR–mAb complex was internalized within 24 h, whereas antigen recognition was not impaired. Harmful effects of the label on the viability, DNA-damage and apoptosis-necrosis induction, could be minimized while yielding a high contrast in in vivo PET images. We were able to follow and quantify the specific homing of systemically applied (64)Cu-labeled chicken ovalbumin (cOVA)-TCR transgenic T cells into the pulmonary and perithymic lymph nodes (LNs) of mice with cOVA-induced airway delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction (DTHR) but not into pulmonary and perithymic LNs of naïve control mice or mice diseased from turkey or pheasant OVA-induced DTHR. Our protocol provides consequent advancements in the detection of small accumulations of immune cells in single LNs and specific homing to the sites of inflammation by PET using the internalization of TCR-specific mAbs as a specific label of T cells. Thus, our labeling approach is applicable to other cells with constant membrane receptor turnover

PET, invasive measurements and physiology values (median and IQR).

<p>PET, invasive measurements and physiology values (median and IQR).</p

Dynamic uptake of [¹⁸F]FAZA %ID/g in tumor (A, C) and muscle (B, D) (median and IQR).

<p><b>A</b> and <b>B</b> show the initial perfusion phase (0–20 min), and <b>C</b> and <b>D</b> show the uptake during 0–3 h (n = 4).</p

Heart rate (A), breathing rate (B) and systolic blood pressure (C) of conscious mice or their littermates under isoflurane or ketamine/xylazine anesthesia breathing air or oxygen.

<p>p-values without asterisks (*) were not significant (after correcting for multiple testing).</p

pO₂-values in tumor (A) and muscle tissue (B).

<p>n = 7–9. p-values without asterisks (*) were not significant (after correcting for multiple testing).</p

Tumor (A) and muscle (B) pO₂ values of mice breathing air for 60 min, followed by 10-min oxygen and air challenges.

<p>Data from individual mice are connected by a line. n = 7–9.</p

T/M-ratios (n = 7–12, left) and representative PET images at 3 h p.i. of mice anesthetized with isoflurane (IF) or ketamine/xylazine (KX) while breathing air or O₂.

<p>Images and graphs show the static PET evaluation at 1 h (first row), 2 h (second row) and 3 h (third row) after [¹⁸F]FAZA injection. The image plane is positioned to display the “hottest” tumor voxel. p-values without asterisks (*) were not significant (after correcting for multiple testing).</p