Factors affecting tumor 18 F-FDG uptake in longitudinal mouse PET studies

Background Many biological factors of 2-[18 F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (18 F-FDG) in blood can affect 18 F-FDG uptake in tumors. In this study, longitudinal 18 F-FDG positron emission tomography (PET) studies were performed on tumor-bearing mice to investigate the effect of blood glucose level and tumor size on 18 F-FDG uptake in tumors. Methods Six- to eight-week-old severe combined immunodeficiency mice were implanted with glioblastoma U87 (n = 8) or adenocarcinoma MDA-MB-231 (MDA) (n = 11) in the shoulder. When the tumor diameter was approximately 2.5 mm, a 60-min dynamic 18 F-FDG PET scan was performed weekly until the tumor diameter reached 10 mm. Regions of interests were defined in major organs and tumor. A plasma curve was derived based on a modeling method that utilizes the early heart time-activity curve and a late-time blood sample. The 18 F-FDG uptake constant K i was calculated using Patlak analysis on the tumors without an apparent necrotic center shown in the PET images. For each tumor type, the measured K i was corrected for partial volume (PV), and multivariate regression analysis was performed to examine the effects of blood glucose level ([Glc]) and tumor growth. Corrected Akaike's information criterion was used to determine the best model. Results The regression model that best fit the PV-corrected K i for U87 data was K i /RC = (1/[Glc]) × (0.27 ± 0.027) mL/min/mL (where [Glc] is in mmol/L), and for MDA, it was K i /RC = (0.04 ± 0.005) mL/min/mL, where K i /RC denotes the PV-corrected K i using an individual recovery coefficient (RC). The results indicated that 18 F-FDG K i /RC for U87 was inversely related to [Glc], while [Glc] had no effect on 18 F-FDG K i /RC of MDA. After the effects of PV and [Glc] were accounted for, the data did not support any increase of 18 F-FDG K i as the tumor (of either type) grew larger in size. Conclusions The effect of [Glc] on the tumor 18 F-FDG K i was tumor-dependent. PV- and [Glc]-corrected 18 F-FDG K i did not show significant increase as the tumor of either type grew in size.