Migration of 99mTc-labelled syngeneic lymphocytes in the rat. Biological and theoretical models predict radiation damage and poor scintigraphic detectability

The possibility of obtaining useful scintigrams of secondary lymphoid organs after infusion of syngeneic lymphocytes labelled with technetium-99m (99mTc) was explored in a rat model. Thoracic duct lymphocyte (TDL) accumulation in various organs was measured with both 99mTc and 51Cr labelled cells, the latter processed with a method that has been shown not to damage lymphocytes. 99mTc labelled TDL did not localize properly in the lymph nodes and spleen. We could not visualize lymph nodes in scintigrams, neither could we demonstrate any difference between normal and hyperplastic spleens. Our conclusion is that radiation from the 99mTc label readily influences lymphocyte migration so that useful scintigraphy in rats and other small experimental animals becomes impossible. This was supported by results from culture experiments with 99mTc labelled, radiosensitive mouse haemopoietic progenitor cells. Theoretical considerations, including the calculations of lymphocyte self-irradiation and signal/noise ratios during scintigraphy of rat tissues, supported our conclusion that scintigraphy in small animals, to disclose the physiological migration of lymphocytes, may be impossible with the present sensitivity of gamma cameras.