Serial Changes in 14C-Deoxyglucose and 201Tl Uptake in Autoimmune Myocarditis in Rats

This study was designed to examine the relationships between the uptake of 14C-deoxyglucose (DG) and the uptake of 201Tl in a rat model of autoimmune myocarditis. Methods: Autoimmune myo-carditis was induced in normal rats by immunization with pig cardiac myosin. Dual-tracer autoradiography with DG and 201Tl was performed on frozen slices of the animals ’ hearts 3 wk (acute phase), 8 wk (subacute phase), and 14 wk (chronic phase) (each n 5 5) after immunization. The extent of inflammatory damage was classified histologically into three categories on the basis of cell infiltration: mild (Mi), moderate (Mo), and severe (Sv). The regional count in the region of interest set on the autoradiogram was normalized on the basis of that of control rats. The ratio of total cardiac uptake to the injected dose (%ID/g 3 BW, where ID is injected dose and BW is body weight) was calculated by tissue counting. Expressions of glucose transporters GLUT1 and 4 wer