Species-specific vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) expression in mammalian pancreatic beta cells: implications for optimising radioligand-based human beta cell mass (BCM) imaging in animal models.

ABSTRACT:

Aims/hypothesis

Imaging of beta cell mass (BCM) is a major challenge in diabetes research. The vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) is abundantly expressed in human beta cells. Radiolabelled analogues of tetrabenazine (TBZ; a low-molecular-weight, cell-permeant VMAT2-selective ligand) have been employed for pancreatic islet imaging in humans. Since reports on TBZ-based VMAT2 imaging in rodent pancreas have been fraught with confusion, we compared VMAT2 gene expression patterns in the mouse, rat, pig and human pancreas, to identify appropriate animal models with which to further validate and optimise TBZ imaging in humans.

Methods

We used a panel of highly sensitive VMAT2 antibodies developed against equivalently antigenic regions of the transporter from each species in

SUBMITTER: Schafer MK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3955760 | biostudies-literature | 2013 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature