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Biomedicines
Volume 13
Issue 7
10.3390/biomedicines13071540
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Cartilage-Specific 18F-NaF Uptake in Rat Models: A Multimodal In Vitro and Ex Vitro Comparative Study with 99mTc-MDP

by
Qingxiao Li
1,2,†,
Jianpeng Gao
3,†,
Yiqun Wang
4,5,†,
Yaoyao Song
6,
Liwei Liu
2,6,
Cong Zhang
1,2,
Ming Li
3,*,
Haodan Dang
1,* and
Jiahe Tian
1,*,‡
1
Department of Nuclear Medicine, The First Medical Centre, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
2
Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing 100853, China
3
Department of Orthopaedics, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100039, China
4
Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Center, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Tsinghua University, Beijing 102218, China
5
Department of Sports Medicine, Peking University Third Hospital, Institute of Sports Medicine of Peking University, Beijing 100080, China
6
Senior Department of Burns and Plastic Surgery, Fourth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100038, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this manuscript and should be regarded as co-first authors.
‡
Deceased author.
Biomedicines 2025, 13(7), 1540; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13071540
Submission received: 9 April 2025 / Revised: 19 May 2025 / Accepted: 23 June 2025 / Published: 24 June 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Biomedical Engineering and Materials)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Background: 18F-NaF and 99mTc-MDP are widely used bone imaging tracers, but their comparative uptake in bone versus cartilage is unclear. This study aimed to directly compare these patterns in rats to guide musculoskeletal molecular imaging. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent in vivo and ex vivo radiotracer studies. Tracer uptake (%ID/g) was quantified in bone and cartilage at 30, 60, or 120 minutes post-injection (18F-NaF or 99mTc-MDP), and across different ages. Additional rats received subcutaneous implants of viable or devitalized bone and cartilage; uptake was assessed using PET/CT, autoradiography, and histology. Results: 18F-NaF showed faster blood/background clearance and higher target-to-background ratios compared to 99mTc-MDP, especially in weight-bearing joint cartilage. 18F-NaF uptake in cancellous bone significantly exceeded that of 99mTc-MDP, whereas 99mTc-MDP showed higher uptake in knee cartilage. Age-related analysis showed maximal knee cartilage accumulation in aged rats. Histological and cell inactivation studies confirmed that  18F-NaF uptake reflects both cellular activity and degree of calcification. Conclusions: 18F-NaF demonstrates distinctive, quantifiable uptake in cartilage, dependent on both cellular activity and calcification, and exhibits favorable imaging characteristics versus 99mTc-MDP for cartilage metabolism. These findings support 18F-NaF as a promising tool for early diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of bone and joint disorders, and provide pathophysiological insight into the dynamics of the bone–cartilage interface.
Keywords: 18F-NaF; 99mTc-MDP; bone imaging; calcification; multimodal imaging; early osteoarthritis 18F-NaF; 99mTc-MDP; bone imaging; calcification; multimodal imaging; early osteoarthritis

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MDPI and ACS Style

Li, Q.; Gao, J.; Wang, Y.; Song, Y.; Liu, L.; Zhang, C.; Li, M.; Dang, H.; Tian, J. Cartilage-Specific 18F-NaF Uptake in Rat Models: A Multimodal In Vitro and Ex Vitro Comparative Study with 99mTc-MDP. Biomedicines 2025, 13, 1540. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13071540

AMA Style

Li Q, Gao J, Wang Y, Song Y, Liu L, Zhang C, Li M, Dang H, Tian J. Cartilage-Specific 18F-NaF Uptake in Rat Models: A Multimodal In Vitro and Ex Vitro Comparative Study with 99mTc-MDP. Biomedicines. 2025; 13(7):1540. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13071540

Chicago/Turabian Style

Li, Qingxiao, Jianpeng Gao, Yiqun Wang, Yaoyao Song, Liwei Liu, Cong Zhang, Ming Li, Haodan Dang, and Jiahe Tian. 2025. "Cartilage-Specific 18F-NaF Uptake in Rat Models: A Multimodal In Vitro and Ex Vitro Comparative Study with 99mTc-MDP" Biomedicines 13, no. 7: 1540. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13071540

APA Style

Li, Q., Gao, J., Wang, Y., Song, Y., Liu, L., Zhang, C., Li, M., Dang, H., & Tian, J. (2025). Cartilage-Specific 18F-NaF Uptake in Rat Models: A Multimodal In Vitro and Ex Vitro Comparative Study with 99mTc-MDP. Biomedicines, 13(7), 1540. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines13071540

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