Nuklearmedizin 2019; 58(02): 158
DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1683630
Poster
Präklinische Bildgebung
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

MR and PET imaging of the insect Manduca sexta as a new screening system for gut inflammatory compounds

AG Müller
1   Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Allgemeine Zoologie und Entwicklungsbiologie, Zelluläre Erkennungs- und Abwehrprozesse, Gießen
,
FH Müller
2   Radiologie und Nuklearmedizin Ludwigshafen, Ludwigshafen
,
M Henschel
3   Inselspital, Universitätsspital Bern, Medizinphysik, Bern
,
CR von Bredow
1   Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Allgemeine Zoologie und Entwicklungsbiologie, Zelluläre Erkennungs- und Abwehrprozesse, Gießen
,
YM von Bredow
1   Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Allgemeine Zoologie und Entwicklungsbiologie, Zelluläre Erkennungs- und Abwehrprozesse, Gießen
,
TE Trenczek
1   Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Allgemeine Zoologie und Entwicklungsbiologie, Zelluläre Erkennungs- und Abwehrprozesse, Gießen
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
27 March 2019 (online)

 
 

    Ziel/Aim:

    This study aims to propose and validate MR and PET imaging features of gut inflammation in the insect Manduca sexta. The epithelial structure and intestinal innate immune response in M. sexta are functionally and mechanistically comparable to mammals. This, together with the cost-effective raring and the large, cylindrical gut of M. sexta larvae will provide a quick and easy system to screen for new effectors and inhibitors of gut inflammation for pharmaceutical and agricultural purposes.

    Methodik/Methods:

    We established 18-F-FDG PET and Gd-BOPTA MR, as well as their image fusion, both methods firstly applied to insects, to detect gut inflammation. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)-infected (n = 20) animals, were used as a positive control and compared to healthy animals (n = 20). We tested contrast-enhanced, T1-weighted gut wall thickness and area, gut wall signal-enhancement, as well as the contrast-enhanced gut diameter as MR and SUVMax as PET diagnostic features. Next, we tested if DSS is also capable of causing gut inflammation in M. sexta (n = 12). Finally, we compared and validated the empirical MRI resolution using gut phantoms (SD = 0.078 mm).

    Ergebnisse/Results:

    Bt-fed animals showed a significantly lower survival (Log-rank test, p < 0.0001) compared to control animals. Control and Bt-infected animals differed significantly (p < 0.0001) in each diagnostic finding. All diagnostic features were excellent or good with ROC-areas of 0.96 – 0.80 and strongly correlated to each other (r = 0.5 – 0.75). We propose contrast-enhanced gut wall thickness with a threshold of 2.05 mm and a sensitivity and specificity of 90% as a key diagnostic finding of gut inflammation in M. sexta. DSS treated animals showed a greater contrast-enhanced gut wall thickness (p = 0.0012), as well as area (p < 0.0001) and, higher SUVMax values (p = 0.0008).

    Schlussfolgerungen/Conclusions:

    The shown M. sexta screening system is a quick and easy tool that allows screening for new effectors and inhibitors of gut inflammation on an industrial scale.


    #