Demonstration of hyperaccumulation of [18F]2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose under oxygen deprivation in living brain slices using bioradiography

Evaluation of cell viability and metabolic activity of a 3D cultured human epidermal model using a dynamic autoradiographic technique with a PET radiopharmaceutical

Quality control of tissues and organs for transplant is important to confirm their safety and effectiveness for regenerative medicine. However, quality evaluation is only carried out using a limited range of inspection criteria, because many of the available evaluation tests are invasive. In order to explore the potential of 2-[¹⁸F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose ([¹⁸F]FDG)-bioradiography as a non-invasive test for estimation of the safety, soundness, and effectiveness of tissues for transplantation, [¹⁸F]FDG uptake and cell viability or metabolism were investigated using a reconstructed human epidermal model (RHEM). We developed an imaging system, and suitable bioradiographic image acquisition conditions and its effectiveness were investigated. [¹⁸F]FDG uptake increased in agreement with DNA content as a marker of cell numbers and for histological assessment during cell proliferation and keratinization. [¹⁸F]FDG uptake was significantly decreased in good agreement with the viability of tissues used with various hazardous chemical treatments. [¹⁸F]FDG uptake by the tissues was decreased by hypothermia treatment and increased by hypoxia treatment while maintaining cell viability in the tissue. Therefore, [¹⁸F]FDG-bioradiography can be useful to estimate cell viability or metabolism in this RHEM. This method might be utilized as a non-invasive test for quality evaluation of tissues for transplantation.

Increase of reactive oxygen species generation in cerebral cortex slices after the transiently enhanced metabolic activity

Under certain conditions such as hypoxia-reoxygenation, the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) increases following hypoxia caused by a decreased oxygen supply. As another hypoxic condition, an excess neural activity status including epileptic seizure induces a decrease in tissue oxygen partial pressure (pO₂) caused by enhanced oxygen utilization; however, whether ROS generation increases following the hypoxic status induced by transiently enhanced energy metabolism in brain tissue currently remains unknown. We herein investigated ROS-dependent chemiluminescence in cerebral cortex slices during the restoration of transiently enhanced energy metabolism induced by a high-potassium treatment with tissue pO₂ changes and redox balance. ROS generation in the tissue was enhanced after high-potassium-induced hypoxia, but not by the reversed order of the treatment: control-potassium then high-potassium treatment, high-potassium treatment alone, and control-potassium treatment alone. The high-potassium treatment induced a transient decrease in tissue pO₂ and a shift in the tissue redox balance towards reduction. The transient shift in the tissue redox balance towards reduction with enhanced metabolic activity and its recovery may correlate with ROS generation. This phenomenon may mimic ROS generation following the hypoxic status induced by transiently enhanced energy metabolism.

WITHDRAWN: Superoxide generation in different brain regions of rats during normoxia and hypoxia-reoxygenation

The Publisher regrets that this article is an accidental duplication of an article that has already been published, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neures.2012.10.010. The duplicate article has therefore been withdrawn.

Superoxide generation in different brain regions of rats during normoxia and hypoxia-reoxygenation

The superoxide-dependent chemiluminescent intensity in different brain regions was examined in ex vivo tissue slices of rat brain during normoxia and hypoxia-reoxygenation with lucigenin. The chemiluminescent intensity increased during reoxygenation after hypoxic treatment. There was a higher level of chemiluminescent intensity in the hippocampus during normoxia, and a lower level in the white matter during normoxia and hypoxia-reoxygenation. A weak correlation was found between the chemiluminescent intensity and the glucose uptake rate during normoxia. Then we examined whether hypoxic strength correlates to superoxide generation. The chemiluminescent intensity increased in a hypoxic strength-dependent manner. The generation mechanism of superoxide was examined using carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), a mitochondrial uncoupler, genipin, an inhibitor for uncoupling protein-2, alloprinol, a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, or apocynin, an NADPH oxidase inhibitor. The chemiluminescent signal was significantly inhibited by CCCP under normoxic condition and enhanced by genipin during normoxia and hypoxia-reoxygenation, but not by allopurinol or apocynin. These results suggest that superoxide generation is high in the hippocampus during normoxia and low in the white matter during normoxia and hypoxia-reoxygenation, superoxide generation in the hypoxia-reoxygenation brain correlates with the strength of hypoxia influenced by oxygen delivery, and mitochondrion is the major sites of intracellular superoxide generation.

Hyperbaric oxygen treatment attenuated the decrease in regional glucose metabolism of rats subjected to focal cerebral ischemia: A high resolution positron emission tomography study

Cerebral hypoxia may be the main component of cell damage caused by ischemia. Previous studies demonstrated a neuroprotective effect of early hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment in various animal models of focal cerebral ischemia. Neuropathologic study showed that exposure of HBO may prevent cell death in ischemic cortex. In the present study, we aimed to assess cellular function of ischemic rat brain after HBO treatment by means of a high-resolution positron emission tomography scanner (microPET) used specifically for small animal imaging. The male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), with the regional cerebral blood flow monitored in vivo by laser Doppler flowmetry. One hour after ischemia, HBO therapy (3 atm absolute, 1 h) was initiated. Local cerebral glucose utilization in the ischemic area was measured before, 1 h and 3 h after ischemia, with 2-[(18)F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) as a tracer. Neurological deficits and infarct volumes were assessed at 24 h after ischemia. Our study showed that early HBO therapy significantly reduced infarct volume of brain 24 h after ischemia. Moreover, glucose utilization in the ischemic area underwent a severe decrease during 1-3 h after MCAO, while the early HBO treatment significantly attenuated the decrease in cerebral metabolic rate of glucose in the ischemic core of the cortex compared with controls. We report for the first time the application of microPET to quantify the rates of glucose metabolism in the ischemic core of rats exposed to HBO. Our results suggest that the early exposure of HBO can partially reverse the downward trend for glucose utilization in the ischemic core, which might contribute to the reported beneficial effects of early HBO therapy on permanent cerebral ischemia.