Neuropharmacology EAC CNRS 5006, Faculty of Pharmacy, University Lyon 1, University of Lyon, F-69373 Lyon, France.
Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2010 Sep;31(9):411-7. doi: 10.1016/j.tips.2010.06.002. Epub 2010 Jul 6.
Small-animal positron emission tomography (PET) is a preclinical imaging method that uses pharmacologically or biochemically active compounds labelled with short-lived positron-emitting radionuclides. This non-invasive nuclear medicine technique requiring animal-dedicated PET cameras (microPET) enables in vivo measurements of physiological processes, biochemical pathways and neurotransmitters. It therefore has a role in studying the pathophysiology and pharmacology of the brain. Moreover, there is increasing evidence that microPET imaging can accelerate drug development by revealing early information regarding biomarkers of pathophysiology or drug mechanisms and cerebral bioavailability. This review presents the potential contribution of microPET in basic neuropharmacology, illustrating its recent contributions and methodological specificities as well as highlighting its limits and constraints. In addition, we aim to encourage the use of PET molecular imaging in basic neuropharmacology to complement other preclinical approaches.
小动物正电子发射断层扫描（PET）是一种临床前成像方法，使用标记有短寿命正电子发射放射性核素的药理学或生物化学活性化合物。这种需要专用小动物 PET 相机（microPET）的非侵入性核医学技术能够进行生理过程、生化途径和神经递质的体内测量。因此，它在研究大脑的病理生理学和药理学方面具有作用。此外，越来越多的证据表明，microPET 成像可以通过揭示与病理生理学或药物机制和大脑生物利用度相关的生物标志物的早期信息来加速药物开发。本综述介绍了 microPET 在基础神经药理学中的潜在贡献，说明了其最近的贡献和方法学特点，并强调了其局限性。此外，我们旨在鼓励在基础神经药理学中使用 PET 分子成像来补充其他临床前方法。
