Cerenkov luminescence imaging and metabolic activity of brown adipose tissue in a mouse model of progeria

Abstract

Objective To study the changes in the metabolic activity of brown adipose tissues in a mouse model of progeria using Cerenkov luminescence imaging. Methods 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging and Cerenkov luminescence imaging were used to dynamically monitor the metabolic activity of the brown adipose tissue in progeria mice. The ageing of the brown adipose tissue was evaluated by detecting the transcriptional and protein expression levels of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), a molecular marker of brown adipose tissue activity. Results At 4 to 12 weeks of age, the progeria mice showed no obvious changes in the SUVmax and Cerenkov luminescence imaging light intensity in the brown adipose tissue (P>0.05). At 14 weeks of age, the SUVmax and Cerenkov imaging light intensity in the brown adipose tissue were decreased significantly in progeria mice (P < 0.01). At the molecular level, the mRNA expression level of UCP1 began to decrease in the progeria mice at 12 weeks (P < 0.05), while UCP1 protein expression level decreased significantly at 14 weeks of age (P < 0.01), which were consistent with the results of the imaging studies. Conclusion Cerenkov luminescence imaging allows efficient assessment of the changes in the metabolic activity of the brown adipose tissue in mice. In progeria mice, the metabolic activity of the brown adipose tissue becomes lowered as early as 14 weeks of age

Keywords

• brown adipose tissue
• positron emission tomography computed tomography
• cerenkov luminescence imaging
• progeria mice