[18F]FDG-PET STUDIES OF HETEROTOPIC HEART TRANSPLANTATION IN RATS

We developed a novel hyperbarically desiccated preservation method of transplants to cope with the global donor shortage, and have reported that in rats with our method the preservation time could be extended to 72 hours when resumption of beating after cardiac transplantation was defined as successful preservation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of preservation time on myocardium using [18F]FDG-PET.\nMale Lewis rats were used. The hearts were extracted from donor rats, and were immediately exposed to hyperbaric mixed gas (2100 hPa PO2 + 1400 hPa PCO in study group [n=8], or 1400 hPa PO2 + 2100 hPa PCO in negative control [NC] group [n=3]) at 4DegreeC. After 24 or 48 hours of the preservation, the hearts were immersed in physiological saline, and were transplanted to the right neck of recipient rats. The rats received a cardiac transplant immediately after extraction without preservation served as positive control (PC) group (n=7). Within 2 hours after completion of the transplant surgery, the rats were injected with 37 MBq of [18F]FDG intravenously, and underwent PET imaging using a small-animal PET scanner (Siemens Inveon). [18F]FDG-PET imaging was repeated 1 week later. For semiquantitative PET analysis, ratios of the maximal counts of the donor heart (D) to the recipient heart (R) were calculated.\nIn NC and 48-hour preserved study groups, the [18F]FDG uptake to the donor hearts was low (D/R was 16.8 % and 21.0+/-3.4 %, respectively). On the other hand, the tracer uptake to the donor hearts in 24-hour preserved study group was as high as that in PC group (D/R was 119.3+/-41.9 % and 79.2+/-20.0 %, respectively), although it decreased 1 week later in the both groups (D/R was 60.0+/-26.9 % and 54.8+/-17.8 %, respectively).\n[18F]FDG-PET studies revealed that with our novel method preservation for up to 24 hours could maintain cell viability of the donor hearts as much as the immediate transplantation. However, the cell viability declined 1 week later not only in the preserved group but also in the immediate transplantation group, which suggested limitation of this animal model in evaluating long-term outcome of the transplants.World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology 201

Relationship between attachment site of tibialis anterior muscle and shape of tibia: anatomical study of cadavers

Abstract Background Tibialis anterior (TA) muscle is the largest dorsiflexor of the ankle joint and plays an important role during gait movement. However, descriptions of the TA attachment site are inconsistent even among major anatomy textbooks, and its origin, especially the attachment site for the tibia, has not been reported in detail. This study is the first experimental attempt to investigate the origin of the TA in detail, paying particular attention to the relationship with the shape of the tibia, including sex differences. Methods Forty legs (20 males, 20 females) from twenty Japanese cadavers were examined. Gross anatomical examination of the TA's attachment site to the tibia and the tibia's shape was performed. Results The location of the distal end of the TA's attachment on tibia was significantly more distal in males than in females (p < 0.01). The anterior border of the tibia had a gentle S-like curve, with a medially convex curve in the proximal region and a laterally convex curve in the distal region in frontal plane. The most protruding point of the distal curve of the anterior border located significantly more proximal in females than in males (p = 0.02). Conclusions There were sex differences in the distal end of the attachment site on tibia of the TA and the shape of the tibia. Consequently, the variations in the attachment site of TA were considered to provide for differences in function of TA. In males, the TA may enable advantageous power exertion, whereas in females it may work efficiently for dorsiflexion of ankle, respectively. Sex differences in TA's attachment site and the shape of the tibia may be involved in gait movement as well as frequency of lower leg disorders such as chronic exertional compartment syndrome