The use of micro-PET-CT imaging in evaluation of brachial plexus root avulsion disease rat model

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of18F-FDG and micro-PET-CT in the diagnose of the model of brachial plexus root avulsion(BPRA). Methods SD rats were accepted different18F-FDG doses via the tail vein or intraperitoneal injection; Then the right of the brachial plexus(C5-C8, T1 nerve root) root avulsion model was established as BPRA group, and rats just had a sham operation as sham group, two groups were assessed by18F-FDG micro-PET-CT scans after two weeks postinjury and the uptake in the C5-C8, T1 spinal cord in the two groups was used for analysis. Results The optimal methods in this experiment was tail vein injection with 1 μCi / g of tracer18F-FDG and the scans was proceed after 40 minutes. After avulsion 2[0.60±0.02(weeks, the range of high uptake was increased in the cervical segments in the BPRA group. Compared to the sham group, a significant increase uptake of18F-FDG [0.69 ±0.04(% ID / g)] occurred in the ipsilateral C5-C8, T1 segments in the BPRA model group %ID / g)] after two weeks post-injury(P0.05). Conclusion The micro-PET-CT imaging technology by tail vein injection with 1 μCi / g18F-FDG could monitor local inflammatory response and neuronal metabolic changes in vivo caused by brachial plexus avulsion injury, providing a new tools for the fundamental research and the diagnosis of the clinical.