PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF 99mTECHNETIUM DIETHYLENETRIAMINE PENTAACETIC ACID, 99mTECHNETIUM DIMERCAPTOSUCCINIC ACID, AND 99mTECHNETIUM MERCAPTOACETYLTRIGLYCINE FOR RENAL SCINTIGRAPHY IN CORN SNAKES (ELAPHE GUTTATA GUTTATA)

• Published in: Veterinary radiology & ultrasound 2006-03, Vol.47 (2), p.222-227
• Main Authors: SYKES IV, JOHN M., SCHUMACHER, JUERGEN, AVENELL, JAMES, RAMSAY, EDWARD, DANIEL, GREGORY B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 99mTc-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid; 99mTc-dimercaptosuccinic acid; 99mTc-mercaptoacetyltriglycine; Animals; Elaphe guttata guttata; Female; Heart; Injections - veterinary; Kidney - diagnostic imaging; Kidney - metabolism; Male; Predictive Value of Tests; Radionuclide Imaging - veterinary; Radiopharmaceuticals - administration & dosage; Radiopharmaceuticals - pharmacokinetics; renal function; scintigraphy; Snakes - metabolism; Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid - administration & dosage; Technetium Tc 99m Dimercaptosuccinic Acid - pharmacokinetics; Technetium Tc 99m Mertiatide - administration & dosage; Technetium Tc 99m Mertiatide - pharmacokinetics; Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate - administration & dosage; Technetium Tc 99m Pentetate - pharmacokinetics
• ISSN: 1058-8183; 1740-8261
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1740-8261.2006.00131.x

The efficacy of three radiopharmaceuticals, 99mTc‐diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (99mTc‐DTPA), 99mTc‐dimercaptosuccinic acid (99mTc‐DMSA), and 99mTc‐mercaptoacetyltriglycine (99mTc‐MAG3), for renal imaging was examined in 16 corn snakes (Elaphe guttata guttata). All snakes received the radiopharmaceutical via an intracardiac injection. The kidneys could not be visualized in the three snakes that received 99mTc‐DTPA or in the three snakes that received 99mTc‐DMSA, but were well delineated in all 10 snakes receiving 99mTc‐MAG3. These snakes were anesthetized and a dynamic frame mode acquisition was obtained for 30 min immediately following injection. A 60 s single static frame mode image was then obtained with the snake in a curled position. Two of the 10 snakes that received 99mTc‐MAG3 were removed from further analysis because of suspected pericardial injections. Of the remaining eight snakes, the mean (±SD) renal uptake was 25±9.8% or 24±9.7%, with or without correction for residual injection site activity, respectively. Correction for remaining radioactivity in the heart does not appear to be necessary if it is less than 10% of the total dose. 99mTc‐MAG3 provided consistently high quality images of the kidneys and further studies are warranted to evaluate its sensitivity for detecting decreased function in snakes with renal disease.