Applicability of [¹⁸F]FDG/PET for investigating rosmarinic acid preconditioning efficacy in a global stroke model in mice

Positron emission tomography (PET) is a non-invasive nuclear imaging technique that uses radiotracers to track cell activity. The radiopharmaceutical ¹⁸F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose ([¹⁸F] FDG) is most commonly used in nuclear medicine for the diagnosis of various diseases, including stroke. A stroke is a serious condition with high mortality and morbidity rates. Rosmarinic acid (RA) is a promising therapeutic agent that exerts neuroprotective effects against various neurological diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the applicability of [¹⁸F]FDG/ PET for investigating the neuroprotective effects of RA in case of a global stroke model in mice. The [¹⁸F]FDG/PET technique facilitates the observation of ischemia and reperfusion injuries in the brain. Moreover, the recovery of glucose metabolism in three specific brain regions, the striatum, superior colliculus, and inferior colliculus, was observed after preconditioning with RA. It was concluded that the [¹⁸F]FDG/PET technique may be useful for stroke diagnosis and the assessment of treatment response. In addition, a long-term longitudinal study using biochemical analysis in conjunction with functional imaging may provide further conclusive results regarding the effect of RA on cerebral ischemia. (author)