Comparison of 99mTc-MIBI uptakes on planar images with those in excised rats organs

The precision with which images reflect tracer uptake in the myocardium has been studied. Additionally, the degree to which Tc methoxyisobutylisonitrile (Tc-MIBI) in the liver gave the effect to a myocardial image has been examined. After administering Tc-MIBI to normal male rats, we compared the myocardial uptakes obtained using a gamma camera with the actual uptakes in the excised organs. Twenty-nine rats were used. Following imaging, the anterior view at 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90 and 120 min after administration of the tracer, uptakes in the heart, lung, liver and blood were estimated with a well-type scintillation counter (WC) and represented as the percentage of the injected dose per gram of tissue (%ID/g). The regions of interest (ROIs) were placed on planar images (PI) and the uptake in each organ was estimated as the percentage of the injected dose per pixel (%ID/pixel). The ratios of PI-to-WC and heart-to-organ were also evaluated. Cardiac uptake with WC was maximum (1.581%±1.893%) at 10 min post-injection. On the other hand, that with PI was maximum (1.493%±0.598%) at 45 min post-injection, but there were significant differences between both measurements (PI/WC ratioabout 1.0 time). Pulmonary uptake with WC was the maximum at 5 min (0.808%±0.015%) post-injection, and decreased gradually. PI measurement showed the maximum value at 45 min (0.760%±0.012%). Hepatic uptake with WC was the maximum at 30 min (0.594%±0.254%). On the other hand, PI measurement showed the same pattern with WC, but these values were higher value than WC as the whole. PI measurement showed higher uptakes in each organ than WC measurement. It was concluded that uptakes or the heart-to-organ ratio obtained clinically with PI might not represent a value that is always accurate.