DESIGN OF AN ISOLATED PIG-HEART PREPARATION FOR POSITRON-EMISSION-TOMOGRAPHY AND MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. Validation of new positron emission tomograp hy (PET) tracers or magnetic (MR) imaging contrast agents is based on isolated rodent heart preparations. The use of larger animals could pr ovide a more direct validation using the devices used for humans. METH ODS. An isolated pig heart preparation has been developed and adapted to the technical constraints of whole body PET and MR imaging. This pr eparation could be used either in the Langendorff or working mode afte r selective cannulation of both coronary arteries. RESULTS. The author s showed that quantification of regional kinetics of PET tracers was p ossible using this preparation by measuring fluorine-18-labeled deoxyg lycose ((18)FDG) kinetics in remote and ischemic territories. Experime nts using MR imaging contrast agents, for myocardial perfusion, demons trated the ability of this preparation to accurately validate these co ntrast agents over a wide range of flow rates. CONCLUSIONS. An isolate d pig heart preparation could be developed to fulfill the constraints of PET and MR imaging, and proved useful for the study of the distribu tion of different tracers or contrast media developed for functional c ardiac imaging in humans.