MATERNAL-FETAL TRANSPORT OF NEUROTOXINS USING PET IMAGING

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This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Objective: To assess in vivo maternal-fetal transport of putative neurotoxins using PET imaging. We used PET-CT imaging to study maternal-fetal transport of materials in one preliminary study involving a pregnant rhesus macaque of the WNPRC breeding colony. The goal of this study was to assess the in vivo transport from the mother to the fetus of a dopamine receptor tracer. Rapid transport was observed and specific uptake and retention of the tracer in the fetal striatum, which is rich with dopamine receptors, was seen. This study demonstrates the feasibility of this non-invasive technique. Future work planned, pending the funding of a grant proposal submitted to the NIH, will assess fetal uptake of environmental neurotoxins in order to make science-based risk assessment of neurotoxin exposure in utero. This research used Animal Services. An NIH application is pending.