No test currently exists for molecular imaging of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Adrenomedullin is a vasodilator peptide predominantly cleared by pulmonary endothelial receptors. We developed a linear adrenomedullin derivative radiolabeled with 99m Tc ( 99m Tc-AM-L) for imaging of pulmonary circulation and tested its capacity to detect anomalies of pulmonary circulation caused by PAH. Methods: PAH was induced by monocrotaline in rats and compared with controls. After 5 wk, 99m Tc-AM-L was injected intravenously. Plasma kinetics were measured, lung activity was determined in vivo after 30 min using a nuclear camera, and lung activity was determined ex vivo in explanted lungs. Expression of adrenomedullin receptors was measured in lung homogenates. Results: The plasma levels of 99m Tc-AM-L significantly increased in PAH by approximately 2-fold. Uptake by the lungs was homogeneous but greatly reduced in PAH by about 70%. In vivo retention was 14% 6 1% (mean 6 SD) of the injected dose in controls and 4% 6 1% in PAH (P , 0.0001). A similar reduction was measured ex vivo (6.0 6 1.6 percentage injected dose per gram [%ID/g] vs. 0.95 6 0.21 %ID/g, P , 0.0001). The expression of the heterodimeric component of the adrenomedullin receptor, receptor activity modifying protein 2, was also greatly reduced in PAH lungs (P , 0.001). Interestingly, right ventricular uptake of 99m Tc-AM-L was increased by PAH (P 5 0.02) and correlated with the degree of right ventricular hypertrophy (r 5 0.83, P 5 0.001). Conclusion: Pulmonary uptake of 99m Tc-AM-L is greatly reduced in monocrotaline-induced PAH. This novel molecular imaging agent may be useful in the diagnosis and follow-up of pulmonary vascular disorders. No clinically available test currently exists that can provide both anatomic and functional information on the status of pulmonary circulation. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a disorder characterized by endothelial dysfunction, with intimal and vascular smooth muscle proliferation leading to gradual obliteration of pulmonary arterioles (1). PAH is screened by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography, with the estimation of pulmonary artery systolic pressure obtained using the tricuspid valve regurgitant jet. Although this approach correlates with hemodynamically measured pulmonary pressure, it does not provide direct information on the biology of pulmonary circulation and may miss the early presence of pulmonary vascular disease (1). The recent availability of oral therapies for PAH such as endothelin receptor antagonists and phophodiesterase inhibitors advocates for earlier diagnosis of this condition and treatment of subjects in functional class II (1). There is, therefore, a clinical need for novel diagnostic approaches toward pulmonary vascular disease that could provide an earlier and more precise diagnosis.Adrenomedullin is a vasodilator peptide produced by the vascular endothelium. When injected intravenously, adrenomedullin is predominantly cleared by pulmonary circulation by specific adrenomedullin rec...