Performance Evaluation and Compatibility Studies of a Compact Preclinical Scanner for Simultaneous PET/MR Imaging at 7 Tesla

Advancements in Positron Emission Tomography Detectors: From Silicon Photomultiplier Technology to Artificial Intelligence Applications

This review article focuses on PET detector technology, which is the most crucial factor in determining PET image quality. The article highlights the desired properties of PET detectors, including high detection efficiency, spatial resolution, energy resolution, and timing resolution. Recent advancements in PET detectors to improve these properties are also discussed, including the use of silicon photomultiplier technology, advancements in depth-of-interaction and time-of-flight PET detectors, and the use of artificial intelligence for detector development. The article provides an overview of PET detector technology and its recent advancements, which can significantly enhance PET image quality.

Mutual interferences between SIAT aPET insert and a 3 T uMR 790 MRI scanner

Objective.Dual-modality small animal PET/MR imaging provides temporally correlated information on two biochemical processes of a living object. An magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-compatible small animal PET insert named Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT) aPET was developed by using dual-ended readout depth encoding detectors to simultaneously achieve a uniform high spatial resolution and high sensitivity at the SIAT. In this work, the mutual interferences between SIAT aPET and the 3 T uMR 790 MRI scanner of United Imaging was quantitatively evaluated.Approach.To minimize the mutual interferences, only the PET detectors and the readout electronics were placed inside the MRI scanner, the major signal processing electronic was placed in the corner of the MRI room and the auxiliary unit was placed in the MRI technical room. A dedicated mouse radio fRequency (RF) coil with a transmitter and receiver was developed for the PET insert. The effects of PET scanner on theB₀andB₁field of the MRI scanner and the quality of the MRI images were measured. The effects of MRI imaging on the performance of both the PET detectors and scanner were also measured.Main results.The electronic and mechanical components of the PET insert affected the homogeneity of theB₀field. The PET insert had no effect on the homogeneity ofB₁produced by the dedicated mouse coil but slightly reduced the strength ofB₁. The mean and standard deviation of the RF noise map were increased by 2.2% and 11.6%, respectively, while the PET insert was placed in the MRI scanner and powered on. Eddy current was produced while the PET insert was placed in the MRI scanner, and it was further increased while the PET insert was powered on. Despite the above-mentioned interferences from the PET insert, the MR images of a uniform cylindrical water phantom showed that the changes in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and homogeneity as the PET insert was placed in the MRI scanner were acceptable regardless of whether the PET insert was powered off or powered on. The maximum reduction of SNR was less than 11%, and the maximum reduction of homogeneity was less than 2.5% while the PET insert was placed inside the MRI scanner and powered on for five commonly used MRI sequences. MRI using gradient echo (GRE), spin echo (SE) and fast spin echo (FSE) sequences had negligible effects on the flood histograms and energy resolution of the PET detectors, as well as the spatial resolution and sensitivity of the PET scanner.Significance.The mutual interference between the SIAT aPET and the 3 T uMR 790 MRI scanner are acceptable. Simultaneous PET/MRI imaging of small animals can be performed with the two scanners.

A Practical Quality Assurance Procedure for Data Acquisitions in Preclinical Simultaneous PET/MR Systems

The availability of preclinical simultaneous PET/MR imaging systems has been increasing in recent years. Therefore, this technique is progressively moving from the hands of pure physicists towards those of scientists more involved in pharmacology and biology. Unfortunately, these combined scanners can be prone to artefacts and deviation of their characteristics under the influence of external factors or mutual interference between subsystems. This may compromise the image quality as well as the quantitative aspects of PET and MR data. Hence, quality assurance is crucial to avoid loss of animals and experiments. A possible risk to the acceptance of quality control by preclinical teams is that the complexity and duration of this quality control are increased by the addition of MR and PET tests. To avoid this issue, we have selected over the past 5 years, simple tests that can be easily and quickly performed each day before starting an animal PET/MR acquisition. These tests can be performed by the person in charge of the experiment even if this person has a limited expertise in instrumentation and performance evaluation. In addition to these daily tests, other tests are suggested for an advanced system follow-up at a lower frequency. In the present paper, the proposed tests are sorted by periodicity from daily to annual. Besides, we have selected test materials that are available at moderate cost either commercially or through 3D printing.

Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia during Sleep Causes Browning of Interscapular Adipose Tissue Accompanied by Local Insulin Resistance in Mice

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a highly prevalent condition, characterized by intermittent hypoxia (IH), sleep disruption, and altered autonomic nervous system function. OSA has been independently associated with dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) has been suggested as a modulator of systemic glucose tolerance through adaptive thermogenesis. Reductions in BAT mass have been associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome. No studies have systematically characterized the effects of chronic IH on BAT. Thus, we aimed to delineate IH effects on BAT and concomitant metabolic changes. C57BL/6J 8-week-old male mice were randomly assigned to IH during sleep (alternating 90 s cycles of 6.5% F_IO₂ followed by 21% F_IO₂) or normoxia (room air, RA) for 10 weeks. Mice were subjected to glucose tolerance testing and ¹⁸F-FDG PET-MRI towards the end of the exposures followed by BAT tissues analyses for morphological and global transcriptomic changes. Animals exposed to IH were glucose intolerant despite lower total body weight and adiposity. BAT tissues in IH-exposed mice demonstrated characteristic changes associated with "browning"-smaller lipids, increased vascularity, and a trend towards higher protein levels of UCP1. Conversely, mitochondrial DNA content and protein levels of respiratory chain complex III were reduced. Pro-inflammatory macrophages were more abundant in IH-exposed BAT. Transcriptomic analysis revealed increases in fatty acid oxidation and oxidative stress pathways in IH-exposed BAT, along with a reduction in pathways related to myogenesis, hypoxia, and IL-4 anti-inflammatory response. Functionally, IH-exposed BAT demonstrated reduced absorption of glucose on PET scans and reduced phosphorylation of AKT in response to insulin. Current studies provide initial evidence for the presence of a maladaptive response of interscapular BAT in response to chronic IH mimicking OSA, resulting in a paradoxical divergence, namely, BAT browning but tissue-specific and systemic insulin resistance. We postulate that oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and inflammation may underlie these dichotomous outcomes in BAT.

Advances in Preclinical PET

The classical intent of PET imaging is to obtain the most accurate estimate of the amount of positron-emitting radiotracer in the smallest possible volume element located anywhere in the imaging subject at any time using the least amount of radioactivity. Reaching this goal, however, is confounded by an enormous array of interlinked technical issues that limit imaging system performance. As a result, advances in PET, human or animal, are the result of cumulative innovations across each of the component elements of PET, from data acquisition to image analysis. In the report that follows, we trace several of these advances across the imaging process with a focus on small animal PET.

Opposite physiological and pathological mTORC1-mediated roles of the CB1 receptor in regulating renal tubular function

Activation of the cannabinoid-1 receptor (CB₁R) and the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) in the renal proximal tubular cells (RPTCs) contributes to the development of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). However, the CB₁R/mTORC1 signaling axis in the kidney has not been described yet. We show here that hyperglycemia-induced endocannabinoid/CB₁R stimulation increased mTORC1 activity, enhancing the transcription of the facilitative glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2) and leading to the development of DKD in mice; this effect was ameliorated by specific RPTCs ablation of GLUT2. Conversely, CB₁R maintained the normal activity of mTORC1 by preventing the cellular excess of amino acids during normoglycemia. Our findings highlight a novel molecular mechanism by which the activation of mTORC1 in RPTCs is tightly controlled by CB₁R, either by enhancing the reabsorption of glucose and inducing kidney dysfunction in diabetes or by preventing amino acid uptake and maintaining normal kidney function in healthy conditions.

Renal proximal tubules modulate whole-body homeostasis by sensing various nutrients. Here the authors describe the existence and importance of a unique CB1/mTORC1/GLUT2 signaling axis in regulating nutrient homeostasis in healthy and diseased kidney.

Performance evaluation of a PET insert for preclinical MRI in stand-alone PET and simultaneous PET-MRI modes

Background

This study aimed to evaluate the performance of a preclinical PET insert in three configurations: as a stand-alone unit outside the MRI bore, inside the bore of a cryogen-free 3T MRI and, finally, while performing simultaneous PET/MRI studies.

Methods

The PET insert consists of two rings of six detectors, each detector comprising 8 × 12 SiPMs reading out dual offset layers of pixelated LYSO crystals with a 1.4-mm pitch. The inner diameter is 60 mm, transaxial field of view (FoV) 40 mm and axial FoV 98 mm. Evaluation was based on NEMA NU 4-2008 guidelines with appropriate modifications. Spatial resolution and sensitivity were measured inside and outside the MR bore. Image quality, count rate and quantitative performance were measured in all three configurations. The effect of temperature stability on PET sensitivity during fast spin echo sequences was also evaluated. B₀ field homogeneity and T1 and T2 relaxation times were measured using a water-filled phantom, with and without simultaneous PET operation. Finally, PET and MRI scans of a mouse injected with 10 MBq [¹⁸F]NaF and a mouse injected with 16 MBq [¹⁸F]FDG were performed in sequential and simultaneous modes.

Results

Peak absolute sensitivity was 10.15% with an energy window of 250–750 keV. Absolute sensitivity values outside and inside the MR bore with MR idle agreed to within 0.1%. Outside the MR bore, spatial resolution was 1.21/1.59 mm FWHM (radial/tangential) 5 mm from the centre of the FoV which compared well with 1.19/1.26 mm FWHM inside the MR bore. There were no substantial differences between all three scan configurations in terms of peak NEC rate (175 kcps at 17 MBq), scatter or random fractions. Uniformity and recovery coefficients were also consistent between scanning modes. B₀ field homogeneity and T1 and T2 relaxation times were unaltered by the presence of the PET insert. No significant differences were observed between sequential and simultaneous scans of the animals.

Conclusions

We conclude that the performance of the PET insert and MRI system is not significantly affected by the scanning mode.

[123I]MIBG is a better early marker of anthracycline cardiotoxicity than [18F]FDG: a preclinical SPECT/CT and simultaneous PET/MR study

Background

During anthracycline treatment of cancer, there is a lack for biomarkers of cardiotoxicity besides the cardiac dysfunction. The objective of the present study was to compare [¹⁸F]FDG and [¹²³I]MIBG (metaiodobenzylguanidine) in a longitudinal study in a doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity rat model.

Methods

Male Wistar Han rats were intravenously administered 3 times at 10 days’ interval with saline or doxorubicin (5 mg/kg). [¹²³I]MIBG SPECT/CT (single photon emission computed tomography-computed tomography) and simultaneous [¹⁸F]FDG PET (positron emission tomography)/7 Tesla cardiac MR (magnetic resonance) imaging acquisitions were performed at 24 h interval before first doxorubicin / saline injection and every 2 weeks during 6 weeks. At 6 weeks, the heart tissue was collected for histomorphometry measurements.

Results

At week 4, left ventricle (LV) end-diastolic volume was significantly reduced in the doxorubicin group. At week 6, the decreased LV end-diastolic volume was maintained, and LV end-systolic volume was increased resulting in a significant reduction of LV ejection fraction (47 ± 6% vs. 70 ± 3%). At weeks 4 and 6, but not at week 2, myocardial [¹⁸F]FDG uptake was decreased compared with the control group (respectively, 4.2 ± 0.5%ID/g and 9.2 ± 0.8%ID/g at week 6). Moreover, [¹⁸F]FDG cardiac uptake correlated with cardiac function impairment. In contrast, from week 2, a significant decrease of myocardial [¹²³I]MIBG heart to mediastinum ratio was detected in the doxorubicin group and was maintained at weeks 4 and 6 with a 45.6% decrease at week 6.

Conclusion

This longitudinal study precises that after doxorubicin treatment, cardiac [¹²³I]MIBG uptake is significantly reduced as early as 2 weeks followed by the decrease of the LV end-diastolic volume and [¹⁸F]FDG uptake at 4 weeks and finally by the increase of LV end-systolic volume and decrease of LV ejection fraction at 6 weeks. Cardiac innervation imaging should thus be considered as an early key feature of anthracycline cardiac toxicity.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13550-021-00835-1.

Performance Evaluation of SimPET-X, a PET Insert for Simultaneous Mouse Total-Body PET/MR Imaging

PURPOSE

In this study, a small animal PET insert (SimPET-X, Brightonix Imaging Inc.) for simultaneous PET/MR imaging studies is presented. This insert covers an 11-cm-long axial field-of-view (FOV) and enables imaging of mouse total-bodies and rat heads.

PROCEDURES

SimPET-X comprises 16 detector modules to yield a ring diameter of 63 mm and an axial FOV of 110 mm. The detector module supports four detector blocks, each comprising two 4 × 4 SiPM arrays coupled with a 20 × 9 array of LSO crystals (1.2 × 1.2 × 10 mm³). The physical characteristics of SimPET-X were measured in accordance with the NEMA NU4-2008 standard protocol. In addition, we assessed the compatibility of SimPET-X with a small animal-dedicated MRI (M7, Aspect Imaging) and conducted phantom and animal studies.

RESULTS

The radial spatial resolutions at the center based on 3D OSEM without and with the warm background were 0.73 mm and 0.99 mm, respectively. The absolute peak sensitivity of the system was 10.44% with an energy window of 100-900 keV and 8.27% with an energy window of 250-750 keV. The peak NECR and scatter fraction for the mouse phantom were 348 kcps at 26.2 MBq and 22.1% with an energy window of 250-750 keV, respectively. The standard deviation of pixel value in the uniform region of an NEMA IQ phantom was 4.57%. The spillover ratios for air- and water-filled chambers were 9.0% and 11.0%, respectively. In the hot-rod phantom image reconstructed using 3D OSEM-PSF, all small rods were resolved owing to the high spatial resolution of the SimPET-X system. There was no notable interference between SimPET-X and M7 MRI. SimPET-X provided high-quality mouse images with superior spatial resolution, sensitivity, and counting rate performance.

CONCLUSION

SimPET-X yielded a remarkably improved sensitivity and NECR compared with SimPET^TM.