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Quantification of the Cannabinoid Type 1 Receptor Availability in the Mouse Brain
Isabelle Miederer1, Viktoria Wiegand1, Nicole Bausbacher1
1Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
Frontiers in Neuroanatomy
|December 17, 2020
Summary
This study used positron emission tomography (PET) with [18F]MK-9470 to map cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptors in mouse brains. PET imaging showed consistent results with protein expression, validating its use for studying CB1 receptor availability.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Radiochemistry
- Pharmacology
Background:
- The endocannabinoid system, particularly cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptors, is implicated in various neurological and psychiatric disorders.
- Mice are crucial animal models in translational research, especially for studying diseases like addiction, schizophrenia, and eating disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically analyze in vivo cannabinoid type 1 (CB1) receptor ligand-binding capacity in mice using positron emission tomography (PET).
- To compare PET imaging results with immunohistochemistry (IHC) data to assess the consistency between ex vivo protein expression and in vivo ligand binding.
Main Methods:
- Utilized small animal PET with the radioligand [18F]MK-9470 to examine six male C57BL/6J mice.
- Quantified ligand accumulation in different brain regions using the %ID/ml parameter.
- Compared PET findings with existing immunohistochemical (IHC) literature data.
Main Results:
- The [18F]MK-9470 radioligand demonstrated rapid uptake and slow kinetics in the mouse brain, accumulating widely.
- PET and IHC classifications showed consistency in the telencephalon.
- PET imaging revealed higher CB1 receptor availability in the diencephalon, mesencephalon, and rhombencephalon compared to IHC data.
Conclusions:
- The preclinical study validates [18F]MK-9470 PET as a suitable method for imaging region-specific CB1 receptor availability in healthy adult mouse brains.
- This imaging approach holds potential for investigating CB1 receptor availability in pathological conditions relevant to neurological and psychiatric disorders.
