Preclinical evaluation of heat-denatured [¹⁸F]FDG-labeled red blood cells for detecting splenic tissues with PET in rats

Introduction Heat-denatured ^99mTc-labeled red blood cells (RBCs) are used for detecting splenic tissues with scintigraphy. The present study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of using heat-denatured [¹⁸F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([¹⁸F]FDG)-labeled RBCs in detecting splenic tissues using positron emission tomography (PET) in rats. Methods RBCs were washed with phosphate buffered saline, labeled with [¹⁸F]FDG at 38°C, and heat-denatured at 50°C for 15 min. In vitro stability was assessed by measuring extracellular radioactivity during the 0–180 min incubation at 37°C. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) of the extracellular fluid was performed. The autologous RBCs were intravenously injected in four rats and PET scanning was simultaneously performed for 30 min. Time-activity curves of several organs, including the spleen, were analyzed on the PET images. Results Labeling efficiency was 92%. Low levels of radioactivity were released from the labeled RBCs for 180 min. TLC revealed that 80% of the released radioactivity was due to [¹⁸F]FDG-6-phosphate. Whole body images showed strong uptake of heat-denatured [¹⁸F]FDG-labeled RBCs in the spleen soon after injection in all four rats. Time-activity curves revealed that the splenic uptake continued to increase for 30 min and the amount of radioactivity in the other organs, except the urinary bladder, decreased after the initial surge. Conclusions Heat-denatured [¹⁸F]FDG-labeled RBCs are suitable spleen-specific agents for PET. This method is clinically relevant as an alternative for heat-denatured ^99mTc-labeled RBC scintigraphy.