Fig. 1.

Representative PET-CT images of Atp7b^−/− mice injected with ⁶⁴CuCl₂ intravenously. Whole body PET-CT images of an Atp7b^−/− mouse and a wild-type C57BL mouse were obtained during the first hour by dynamic imaging (0–1 h), and static at 2 and 24 h post-injection (p.i.) of ⁶⁴CuCl₂, respectively. On the images obtained during the first hour post-injection, intense ⁶⁴Cu radioactivity was seen in the liver of Atp7b^−/− and wild-type mice, with much less radioactivity in the muscle and brain. Diffuse radioactivity in the abdomen represents ⁶⁴Cu radioactivity in the intestinal tracts resulted from hepatobilliary clearance. At 2 and 24 h post-injection, intense ⁶⁴Cu radioactivity remained in the liver of Atp7b^−/− mouse, in contrast to reduced ⁶⁴Cu radioactivity in the liver of wild-type C57BL mice. There is little ⁶⁴Cu radioactivity in the urinary bladder, which indicates that ⁶⁴Cu is mainly cleared through hepatobilliary clearance pathway. MIP (maximum intensity projection), Scale bar %ID/g (percentage of injected dose per gram).