Background
Mitochondrial dysfunction is one of the main causes of non-alcohol fatty liver disease (NAFLD). [18F]-BMS-747158-02 (18F-BMS) which was originally developed as a myocardial perfusion imaging agent was reported to bind mitochondrial complex-1 (MC-1). The
Conclusions
The present study demonstrated that 18F-BMS is a potential PET probe for quantitative imaging of hepatic MC-1 activity and its mitochondrial dysfunction induced by steatosis and inflammation, such as in NAFLD.
Results
In control mice, hepatic 18F-BMS uptake was significantly inhibited by the pre-injection of rotenone. The uptake of 18F-BMS was significantly decreased after 2 weeks of the MCD diet. The SUV at 30-60 min was well correlated with hepatic MC-1 activity (r = 0.73, p < 0.05). Increases in plasma ALT and AST levels were also noted at 1 and 2 weeks. Mild hepatic steatosis with or without minimal inflammation was histopathologically observed at 1 and 2 weeks in mice liver on the MCD diet. However, inflammation was observed only at 2 weeks in mice on the MCD diet. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that 18F-BMS is a potential PET probe for quantitative imaging of hepatic MC-1 activity and its mitochondrial dysfunction induced by steatosis and inflammation, such as in NAFLD.
