Changes in serotonin-2 receptors have been demonstrated in brain autopsy material from patients with various neurodegenerative and affective disorders. It would be desirable to locate a ligand for the study of these receptors in vivo with positron emission tomography (PET). Altanserin is a 4-benzoylpiperidine derivative with a high affinity and selectivity for S 2 receptors in vitro. Dynamic PET studies were carried out in nine normal volunteers with high-specific activity (376–1,680 mCi/μmol) [ 18 F]altanserin. Arterial blood samples were obtained and the plasma time–activity curves were corrected for the presence of labeled metabolites. Thirty minutes after injection, selective retention of the radioligand was observed in cortical areas, while the cerebellum, caudate, and thalamus had low radioactivity levels. Specific binding reached a plateau between 30 and 65 min postinjection at 1.8% of the injected dose/L of brain and then decreased, indicating the reversibility of the binding. The total/nonspecific binding ratio reached 2.6 for times between 50 and 70 min postinjection. The graphical analysis proposed by Logan et al. allowed us to estimate the binding potential ( B max / K D ). Pretreatment with ketanserin was given to three volunteers and brain activity remained uniformly low. An additional study in one volunteer showed that [ 18 F]altanserin can be displaced from the receptors by large doses of ketanserin. At the end of the study, unchanged altanserin was 57% of the total plasma activity. These results suggest that [ 18 F]altanserin is selective for S 2 receptors in vivo as it is in vitro. They indicate that [ 18 F]altanserin is suitable for imaging and quantifying S 2 receptors with PET in humans.

[5-131I]Iodotropapride is a benzamidic compound which displays high affinity and selectivity for dopaminergic receptors. It was prepared from the corresponding brominated compound by a nucleophilic substitution with [131I]iodine (t12 = 8.02 days, Eγ = 364 keV) based on the use of Cu(I) as catalyst and high specific activity of [131I]NaI. After i.v. injection in rats the tracer crosses the blood-brain barrier (0.42 ± 0.06% of injected dose in the total brain) and demonstrates a high affinity binding to the striatum. The striatum-to-cerebellum ratio increases with time and reaches values of 9 and 22 at 30 and 120 min after injection, respectively. This specific uptake in the striatum is saturable and can be blocked by pretreatment with different D2 antagonists. When labeled with 123I (t12 = 13 h, Eγ = 159 keV), the corresponding [123I]iodotropapride may be useful for the investigation of the D2 dopamine receptors in humans with single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT).

Asymmetric nucleophilic synthesis of 6-[F-18]fluoro-L-dopa was investigated in order to reach an enantiomeric excess of close to 100% of the L form of this amino acid. The radiochemical synthesis required [F-18]fluoride as fluorinating agent and regioselective nucleophilic substitution of commercially available 6-nitroveratraldehyde. The [F-18]fluorobenzaldehyde thus obtained was easily converted to the corresponding 2-[F-18]fluoro-4,5-dimethoxybenzyl bromide. This alkylating agent was added to the lithium enolates of 1-(S)-(-)camphor imine of t-butyl glycinate (1) and (S)-(-)- 1 -Boc-2-t-butyl-3-methyl-4-imidazolidinone [(S)- Boc-BMI] (2) in order to compare the enantiomeric excess of the L form obtained in each case with these two chiral inductors.The L-isomer of fluorodopa was isolated after H1 hydrolysis and HPLC purification in 5-10% radiochemical yield (decay corrected). The overall synthesis time was of 110 min. Through this synthetic pathway, the L-isomer of fluorodopa was obtained in 83% e.e with 1 and 96% e.e with 2 respectively, as determined by chiral HPLC.A practical three step preparative scale synthesis of 6-[F-19]fluoro-D,L-dopa is also presented.

Tropapride, (exo)-2,3-dimethoxy-N-[8-(phenylmethyl)-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-yl]benzamide hydrochloride, has been labeled with fluorine-18 at the 2- and 4-positions of its benzylic group. Two synthetic pathways were investigated: the first one required the alkylation of the norbenzyl precursor with 2- or 4-[F-18]fluorobenzyl bromide (radiochemical yield of 5% EOB, 180 min); the second method consisted of a reductive amination of norbenzyl tropapride with 2- or 4-[F-18]fluorobenzaldehyde (20% EOB, 110 min). In both cases, the specific activity was found to be greater than 1 Ci/mumol (EOS). Animal studies in rats showed the percentage of the injected dose localizing in the whole brain to be 0.6 +/- 0.09 and 0.2 +/- 0.03 at 2 h post injection for the para- and the ortho -[F-18]fluoro analogs of tropapride respectively. Cerebral biodistribution studies showed at 4 h a striatum uptake of 5 +/- 0.7 % of the injected dose per gram of striatum for the para derivative with a low fixation into the frontal cortex and the cerebellum (% ID/g FC < 0.4 and % ID/g Cb < 0.3). The selectivity of 4-[F-18]fluorotropapride for D2 dopaminergic sites was demonstrated through blocking experiments with ketanserin, spiperone and halopemide. The saturability was confirmed by the use of variable specific activities. These preliminary results showed that 4-[F-18]fluorotropapride can be considered as a potent radiopharmaceutical for the study of the dopaminergic system with PET.

Tropapride, (exo)-2,3-dimethoxy-N-[8-(phenylmethyl)-8-azabicyclo[3.2.1]oct-3-yl]benzamide hydrochloride, has been labeled with fluorine-18 at the 2- and 4-positions of its benzylic group. Two synthetic pathways were investigated: the first one required the alkylation of the norbenzyl precursor with 2- or 4-[18F]fluorobenzyl bromide (radiochemical yield of 5% EOB, 180 min); the second method consisted of a reductive amination of norbenzyl tropapride with 2- or 4-[18F]fluorobenzaldehyde (20% EOB, 110 min). In both cases, the specific activity was found to be greater than 1 Ci/μmol (EOS). Animal studies in rats showed the percentage of the injected dose localizing in the whole brain to be 0.6 ± 0.09 and 0.2 ± 0.03 at 2 h post injection for the para- and the ortho-[18F]fluoro analogs of tropapride respectively. Cerebral biodistribution studies showed at 4 h a striatum uptake of 5 ± 0.7% of the injected dose per gram of striatum for the para derivative with a low fixation into the frontal cortex and the cerebellum (% ID/gFC < 0.4 and % ID/gCb < 0.3). The selectivity of 4-[18F]fluorotropapride for D2 dopaminergic sites was demonstrated through blocking experiments with ketanserin, spiperone and halopemide. The saturability was confirmed by the use of variable specific activities. These preliminary results showed that 4-[18F]fluorotropapride can be considered as a potent radiopharmaceutical for the study of the dopaminergic system with PET.

The synthesis of various [18F]fluoroaromatic aldehydes using activated nitro precursors and amino-polyether supported nucleophilic substitution with 18F− is reported. These radiolabelled fluorinated aldehydes (radiochemical yields: 50–75%) are powerful key intermediates leading after treatment with NaBH4 and SOBr2 (SOCL2) to further active intermediates for example substituted [18F]fluorobenzyl bromides (yields 30–50% EOB). These benzaldehydes and bromides are particularly useful for the preparation of new radiopharmaceuticals (e.g. fluorotroprapride, fluorodexetimide) either by reductive amination or by aromatic N-alkylation. The preparation of various amino acids in D, L (50:50) or enriched L form by asymmetric synthesis is also possible (e.g. L-6-[18F]fluorodopa, L-4-[18F]fluoro-m-tyrosine). It can be anticipated that the 18F-labelled fluoroaldehydes will find widespread application in radiopharmaceutical chemistry.

The NCA asymmetric synthesis of l-6-[18F]fluorodopa starting from (1R,2R,5R)-[(+)-2-hydroxypinanyl- 3-idene]glycine t-butyl ester as chiral agent has been developed. After 18F-fluorination of the two commercially available aldehydes either 6-nitroveratraldehyde or 6-nitropiperonal, the required alkylating [18F]fluorobenzyl bromide derivative can be easily prepared by treatment with NaBH4 followed by SOBr2. Alkylation of the Schiff base was carried out with the lithium salt of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine as base in anhydrous THF at −78°C. Following hydrolysis of the protecting groups with hydroxylamine and Hl, the l-amino acid was obtained in 75% l form (ee 50%) with a 10% decay corrected (120 min) radiochemical yield.

No-carrier-added [18F]altanserin was synthesized by nucleophilic substitution of the corresponding nitro compound with [18F]fluoride in the presence of kryptofix 222 and K2CO3. After purification by preparative HPLC, [18F]altanserin was produced in less than 2 hr with a radiochemical yield of 10% (EOS) and a specific activity of 0.8-1.3 Ci/mumol. In rats, the tracer localized rapidly in the whole brain (0.5% ID/g organ) with a high binding to the frontal cortex. The frontal cortex/cerebellum ratio increased with time and reached a plateau of 11 at 2 hr postinjection. This uptake in S2 receptor regions was saturable and could be blocked by pretreatment with various S2 antagonists. This radiopharmaceutical appears to be more selective for S2 receptor sites than other ligands available today and allows the study of S2 receptors under in vivo conditions.

This paper describes the preparation of 6-[18F]fluoro-L-dopa by a no-carrier-added method based on the nucleophilic displacement of nitro groups of two commercially available substrates, 3,4-dimethoxy-2-nitrobenzaldehyde (nitroveratraldehyde) and 6-nitropiperonal. Fluorination was conducted in DMSO with fluorine-18 (18F) in the presence of the aminopolyether Kryptofix 222 and potassium carbonate. The condensation of the fluorinated aldehydes with phenyloxazolone and the subsequent hydrolysis with HI/P yield, after purification by HPLC, only the 6-(D, L) isomers. The racemic mixture (50/50) was resolved on an analytical scale chiral column. The method, which requires 100 min (EOB) to complete, produces 6-[18F]fluoro-L-dopa with a decay-corrected radiochemical yield of 10%, an enantiomeric purity greater than 99%, and a specific activity of 1.2 Ci/mumole.