Myocardial Extraction of 1-[11C] Betamethylheptadecanoic Acid

Betamethylheptadecanoic acid (BMHA) is a branched chain fatty acid analog that is transported into myocardial cells by the same long chain fatty acid carrier protein mechanism as natural fatty acids, but cannot be completely catabolized and accumulates in the tissue. Thus, 11 C-labeled BMHA is a useful tracer for the noninvasive evaluation of myocardial fatty acid utilization by positron emission tomography (PET). Methods: As a prelude to PET studies, the metabolism of BMHA was studied by classical techniques. We measured the net extraction fraction (E n ) of 1-[ 11 C]-beta-R,S-methylheptadecanoic acid (1-[ 11 C]BMHA) and compared it to that of natural fatty acids in dogs, using arterial/venous measurements and a mathematical model. Two groups of conditioned dogs were studied