A team from the University of Wisconsin-Madison successfully used PET imaging to visualize heart damage commonly seen in those with Parkinson’s disease. The technique will help develop therapies.
Lead author Jeanette Metzger, with UW-Madison, and colleagues utilized three different radioligand tracers to map the changes in the left ventricle of 10 adult rhesus monkeys, according to the study that was published in npj Parkinson’s Disease.
“We know there is damage in the heart in Parkinson’s, but we haven’t been able to look at exactly what’s causing it,” said Metzger, in a UW-Madison statement. “Now we can visualize in detail where inflammation and oxidative stress are happening in the heart, and how that relates to how Parkinson’s patients lose those neuronal connections in the heart.”
The monkeys received doses of a neurotoxin that caused damage to the nerves in their heart similarly to the effect Parkinson’s has on humans. The cohort underwent PET scans once before receiving the dose and twice in the weeks following.
Researchers mapped damaged nerves extending into the heart muscle, inflamed heart tissue and areas of oxidative stress, according to the release
The scans revealed enough detail to measure changes over time in specific areas of the left ventricle.
As part of their study, Metzger and colleagues gave five of the monkeys pioglitazones, a drug that has shown progress in defending central nervous system cells from inflammation and oxidative stress. Those who received the drug demonstrated “much greater” nerve function recovery, according to the statement.
The group believes human Parkinson’s patients may benefit from similar scans, which may help detect some patients before their symptoms present themselves.
“Much of the neural degeneration that occurs in the heart can happen very early in the course of the disease. A lot of patients have problems with their heart before they have motor problems,” she said. “While these PET techniques potentially provide a way to test drugs, they may also be used as tools to understand the mechanisms underlying early heart nerve damage.”
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.