99m Tc-labeled Duramycin for detecting and monitoring cardiomyocyte death and assessing atorvastatin cardioprotection in acute myocardial infarction.

This study aimed to dynamically monitor myocardial cell death using 99m Tc-Duramycin single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (micro-SPECT/CT) imaging in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and the anti-apoptosis effect of atorvastatin for cardioprotection. Mice were randomized into three groups: AMI group, AMI with atorvastatin treatment (T-AMI) group, and sham group. Three groups of model mice were randomly selected at day 1 (D1), day 3 (D3), and day 7 (D7) day after surgery with 99m Tc-Duramycin micro-SPECT/CT imaging. The lesion-to-normal myocardial tissue ratio (L/N) average values were 2.62 on D1, 3.89 on D3, and 1.20 on D7 for the uptake of 99m Tc-duramycin in the infarcted region in the AMI group. The sham group presented no positive imaging in myocardium, and the L/N average values were 1.09, 1.14, and 1.10 on D1, D3, and D7, respectively. Meanwhile, 99m Tc-linear-duramycin imaging showed no radioactive uptake in the infarction region. The T-AMI group imaging showed tracer uptake decreased obviously compared to the uptake in the infarcted region in AMI mice. 99m Tc-Duramycin SPECT/CT imaging allowed non-invasive monitoring of myocardial cell death in a mouse model of AMI and an assessment of atorvastatin anti-apoptosis effect for cardioprotection by in vivo molecular imaging.