Evaluation of dopamine transporters and D2 receptors in hemiparkinsonian rat brains in vivo using consecutive PET scans of [18F]FPCIT and [18F]fallypride.

The aim of this study was to investigate dopaminergic function in unilaterally lesioned 6-OHDA rats by dual PET radioligands: [(18)F]FPCIT (a dopamine transporter imaging radioligand) and [(18)F]fallypride (a dopamine D2 receptors imaging radioligand). As a result, the brain uptake of [(18)F]FPCIT was significantly reduced and that of [(18)F]fallypride was increased in the ipsilateral striatum (lesion side) of the 6-OHDA rats. These findings implicated that dopamine transporter is down-regulated and dopamine D2 receptor is up-regulated in this hemiparkinsonian rat model.