Fluoro-D-glucose-micro positron emission tomography as a diagnostic tool to confirm brain death in a murine donor lung injury model

PURPOSE: Because brain death (BD)-related donor lung injury is still poorly understood, a reliable mouse model can help in understanding the immunologic mechanisms behind this lung injury. The purpose of our study was to validate BD in mice using small-animal positron emission tomography. PROCEDURES: BD was induced in male Balb/c mice (27.1 ± 0.9 g) with an intracranial balloon catheter inflated rapidly (<1 min) [BD](R) or gradually (36 ± 5 min) [BD](G), and compared with sham-operated [SH] and control animals [C] (n = 6/group). Ten minutes after balloon insertion 10.4 ± 1.0 MBq 2-deoxy-2-[(18)F]-fluoro-D-glucose ((18)FDG) was administered intravenously and static images were performed and quantified. RESULTS: Coronal, sagittal, and transaxial sections of cerebral (18)FDG activity revealed significant differences when comparing [BD](R) and [BD](G) with [C] and [SH] animals. No significant (18)FDG uptake was visually detectable in [BD](R) and [BD](G). The percentage injected dose showed significant differences between BD groups and [C] and [SH] (P < 0.0001). No significant difference was seen between [C] versus [SH] nor between [BD](R)versus [BD](G) (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: (18)FDG micro positron emission tomography imaging is a valuable tool to demonstrate brain functionality and can therefore be used as a surrogate test to confirm BD in mice.

Publication year:2013

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Authors from:Higher Education

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