Journal of nuclear medicine : official publication, Society of Nuclear Medicine
-
We sought to advance methodology for studying microglial activation and putative therapeutic downregulation in response to minocycline by means of noninvasive in vivo imaging. A reproducible focal white matter lesion was used to reliably compare treatment conditions. ⋯ Zymosan-induced microglial activation and its response to minocycline can be quantitatively imaged in the rat brain using (11)C-(R)-PK11195 PET. The ability to detect a treatment effect in a focal white-matter lesion may be of use in studying therapies for multiple sclerosis (MS).